Category: Tech
Microsoft Backs Off From Browser Search Plan
March 15th, 2020	by DonnaRLuce
When it comes to search engines, people tend to have preferences. Usually it's Google, sometimes it's YAHOO! Regardless, people don't like it when it gets forcibly changed, or when suggestions to change it keep popping up. Things like King Kong SEO tend to be optimized for the most used search engine, as well.
So, when Microsoft announced that people who use Version 2002 of Office 365 ProPlus would have to use the Microsoft Search in Bing, it got a lot of flak, especially since the Office 365 ProPlus is the key point of all Office 365 subscriptions.
The swap of search engines within Chrome was to start in February 2020, and to end by July of the same year, depending on when the company's IT departments had scheduled Office 365 ProPlus. According to the company's statement regarding the matter, the Microsoft Search in Bing extension will come with new installations of the Office 365 ProPlus, or when existing installations get updated to the latest version, saying that Bing was needed in order to make Microsoft Search work.
Given the importance of SEO, and how big King Kong SEO reviews and the like, the backlash was swift and hard, with many comments wondering what Microsoft was doing, or openly mocking them for what was seen as an asinine move. Some even went so far as to equate the move to browser hijacking. There were also a lot of calls to Microsoft asking to make the idea an option, if they had no plans of getting rid of it.
In response, Microsoft has stated that they're dropping the plan, stating that the Microsoft Search in Bing browser extension won't be automatically deployed, adding that IT staff can instead opt-in, with Office 365 ProPlus only deploying when chosen.
Some people have asked for clarification on the matter, saying that they need to clarify as their language in the statement isn't clear enough.
Other people have called foul on Microsoft's claim that people were looking forward to the Microsoft Search function, with mean saying that it's a lie, and adding that there aren't actually any good comments regarding the change.
Posted in Tech, Transport