Microsoft updates Bing logo as it reasserts commitment to search

PanARMENIAN.Net - Microsoft on Thursday, January 14 plans to introduce a new version of the logo for Bing, the No. 2 search engine, switching to green from yellow and putting the "b" in upper case, Advertising Age reports.

The changes come partly because the green "is easier to see over yellow," a Microsoft spokeswoman said, and because the new look displays well "across Windows devices and services."

Microsoft introduced Bing in June 2009, last updating the logo in September 2013.

The new logo comes as Microsoft says Bing has reached a new plane. It remains a distant rival to Google, but became profitable last year.

"We expect Bing to continue to grow and are thrilled with our trajectory," said Rik van der Kooi, Microsoft's corporate VP of advertiser and publisher solutions. "We are the only search engine that is experiencing steady, consistent growth and have increased our share for 26 consecutive quarters. And we're not slowing down."

With about two weeks before Microsoft's next quarterly earnings report, van der Kooi added that the company is "all in on search." It is looking to expand Bing through a number of different vehicles, the largest of which is the company's Windows 10 operating system. More than 200 million people have downloaded Windows 10 since it debuted in July, Mr. van der Kooi said, with Microsoft aiming to have 1 billion users by 2019. Windows 10 and its Edge browser use Bing as the default search engine.

Bing also powers devices like Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and since January 1, all of AOL's search engine properties, as well as other devices.

Excluding traffic acquisition costs, search advertising revenue for Bing grew 29% in 2015.