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Microsoft Windows Baidu

Microsoft announces partnership with China's largest search engine, Baidu

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

September 24, 2015 | 2 min read

Microsoft has announced a new partnership with Chinese internet service company, Baidu in a deal which will see the platform serve as Windows’ default search engine in China.

Baidu is China’s most used search engine with over 600 million active users and will now become the default homepage and search for the Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10 in the region.

Windows said the deal would “make it easy for Baidu customers to upgrade to Windows 10 and we will deliver a custom experience for customers in China, providing local browsing and search experiences2.

Following the agreement Microsoft will expect to see an increase in Windows 10 take up thanks to the new Windows 10 distribution channel, Baidu “Windows 10 Express”, which will make it easy for Chinese Internet users to download Windows 10.

In the official statement on the Window’s blog the tech giant confirmed its partnership with Bing would be unaffected by the new deal. The blog post said Windows remained “deeply committed to delivering Bing around the world and we’re also committed to offering locally relevant experiences – like Baidu in China – to provide great Windows 10 experiences”.

Baidu’s has been listed on Forbes list of the world’s most innovative companies four years running. It currently sites at number 11 and has a market value of $71.4bn.

The Baidu partnership is just one of many which Microsoft has made with Chinese companies and government institutions this year including as deal with electronics company, Xiaomi, that will see the firm use Microsoft’s Windows Azure.

Microsoft Windows Baidu

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