The new MSN search engine will be launched in the UK and Britain at the same time, a version for other markets will follow later.
"We're not talking about being twice as big, we're talking about being twice as useful," he said.More details at Times Online.
Microsoft is investing heavily in the area, pouring at least $100 million into the technology and is determined to exploit Google's current woes.
Google, once a Wall Street darling, has endured a torrid 24 hours after admitting that its revenues cannot keep growing at their current rates. In morning trade in New York today, shares in Google rose $1.10 to $363.72, regaining just a fraction of the $27.76 they lost in the previous session.