Windows Live Search exec leaves Microsoft

gallery

The man charged with the task of making Microsoft's Live Search a powerful rival to Google is to leave the company, sources told Reuters.

Chris Payne, corporate vice president of Windows Live search, is leaving Microsoft to start his own company in Seattle, said the source, who asked not to be identified. A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment.

Payne's departure takes place at a time when Microsoft continues to struggle against Google in internet search even though the company has tried to overhaul its search site with a new look and features.

Google captured 47.5 per cent of the online search market share in January with 3.3bn queries compared to 10.6 per cent for Microsoft with 733m queries, according to data from research firm comScore Networks.

Microsoft's share in January was a slight improvement from 10.5 per cent in December, but a decline from 11 per cent in November.

Payne, who rejoined Microsoft in 2001 after a three-year stint at Amazon, played a key role in persuading the company to develop its own search engine instead of relying on Yahoo.

Prior to Amazon, Payne spent eight years at Microsoft.

Microsoft's late start in search put the company at a disadvantage to Google and Yahoo. Those companies made billions selling advertising tied to search results while Microsoft scrambled to build a business of its own.

Payne would become the second executive from Microsoft's internet arm in the last week planning to leave the company. Blake Irving, a Microsoft vice president who oversees the company's AdCenter system that sells ads next to search results, plans to retire, Microsoft said.

Email to a friend

Print this page