Microsoft’s attempt to scan entire libraries in an effort to make the information searchable, will now be abandoned.
It had amassed digital copies of 750,000 books and 80 million journal articles but was under immense competition from market leader Google, who runs a similar service but does not restrict itself to scanning works in the public domain.
Microsoft began their book-scanning business in 2005 and unveiled their MSN book search site in 2006. They stuck to copying only books and documents that were firmly in the public domain, working with publishers to scan their books.
Two separate sites for searching through the content will be taken down and the massive collection of documents will be given to publishers. Live Search will direct users wanting to search for books to non-Microsoft sites, the company said.
The world’s biggest software maker is being pressured to show how it will turn around its unprofitable online business after its collapsed bid for search competitor Yahoo earlier this month.
Satya Nadella, Senior Vice President wrote in a blog post on Friday that digitizing books and archiving academic journals no longer fits with the company’s plan for its search operation.
The move will allow Microsoft to focus on other types of Internet searches, such as travel listings, she wrote.
“We believe the next generation of search is about the development of an underlying, sustainable business model for the search engine, consumer and content partner,” wrote Nadella.
Last week, Microsoft announced its new Live Search Cash Back system that they hope will gain them a bigger share of the search market by offering a Cash Back incentive to users who make purchases on advertisers’ sites. Microsoft is a distant third in the search market behind Yahoo and market leader Google.
Google’s book project began in 2004, working with the New York Public Library, Harvard University and other organisations for the mass scanning of books. Though they haven’t detailed a way to make book searches profitable, they could run ads alongside search results much as they do with traditional searches. There is also the option of a profit share with publishers when books are sold.
Photo credit: Stephen Brashear – AP