MSN has just announced its Search Champs v.2 program will be taking place in April 2005. In October 2004, MSN hosted the first round of Search Champs, calling upon experts from around the world (and even spammers) to help them fine-tune their new search engine technology before roll out in January 2005.
In the first round of Search Champs, MSN states “The Champs reviewed our product plans from the bottoms up, including the current and upcoming features as well as future ideas that hadn’t made it into our first version release.”
For Search Champs v.2 MSN goes onto say, “We worked hard in our selection process for V2 to ensure diversity, a wide range of backgrounds amongst the invitees, and fresh perspectives. The Search Champs V2 program has similar goals to the inaugural Champs program, and we are working diligently on an easier communications process based on some great feedback from V1.”
What a concept. One of the major search engine companies are actually bringing in expert users from around the world to pound on their product, make suggestions and overall make their search offerings a much better product. Not only that, but they’re also making a public announcement ahead of time to tell us this. MSN is stating that they are making a commitment to openly enlist the outside public’s help to create a better product for everyone. My hat’s off to MSN for engaging outside resources within the search community instead of hiding behind a cloak of secrecy as some search companies do (you know who you are).
This is a win-win for MSN and the public as the public is now actively engaged in the success of their product, having a vested interest in its success. MSN benefits by its bottom line. This spirit of cooperation of actively asking the public what it wants and then giving it to them, will go a long way in making-up market share in the search engine wars. Since the new MSN search was rolled out in January, I find myself using it more and more because of the lack of preference for older websites, the turnaround in making updates to the results pages and the relevance of the searches.
If Search Champs V2 can improve upon this performance, then I’m predicting many more rounds and even sequels to come. I even see a Sylvester Stallone endorsement in the offing: Rocky – Search Champs X: The Final Round. Coming to a streaming video home theatre near you.
It could happen.
