Desperate to reduce the gap between its search engine, Live Search, and omnipresent Google, Microsoft has been searching lately for the best solution.

In just two months, Microsoft announced various initiatives aimed to improve its search service and the user experience.
After it dropped the bid for Yahoo (although there are rumors that the Redmond-based software giant still seeks some partners to buy the Internet portal) Microsoft seems to lack a clear strategy to achieve its goal.

Its aim to be greater than Google is already a clear statement, but Microsoft seems to have no idea how to do it. In the past few years, Microsoft has tried everything in the book:  marketing campaigns, promotions and it even tried to tie up Live Search to its Internet Explorer browser.

However, all its efforts have failed and it seems like Microsoft has understood finally that maybe it’s time to think outside the box, the search box at least.

Its latest acquisition, Powerset, is not just another search engine, but a platform for how the search will look in the future.
In May, Powerset announced the public availability of its latest beta product, a search engine that delivers query results based on meaning, rather than words, delivering valid answers and improving the search experience.

“We have focused on making Powerset able to read and understand documents on the web as part of a broader vision to change the way people interact with technology, Scott Prevost, general manager and director of product, described the search engine.

Of course, Powerset’s dream about a semantic search engine is for the moment in its early phase, but having Microsoft as an ally could definitely change its future.

In fact, Powerset is not the only company that hopes to make a breakthrough in the semantic search field. Last year, IBM released a test version of OmniFind Personal Email Search, a semantic search tool for Microsoft Outlook or IBM’s Lotus Notes. IBM explained that its program is able to make associations between the underlying concepts of words often used in corporate email. Thus, users will be able to find useful information hidden in their email databases in just seconds.

However, to apply the semantic search to such a vast and complex environment as the Internet could prove to be a sisific attempt, but Microsoft could be on the right path.

For the first time in years, the software company is trying a different approach to the search problem and is trying to develop something different.

Powerset’s deal follows after Microsoft announced last month that it will open a new R&D search center in Europe, which aims to understand the search habits of the Europeans.
Of course, it is hard to say when we will see the results of Microsoft’s efforts, but I presume that until the end of this year, we will have some new search toys from the Microsoft-Powerset collaboration.