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MSN Search Director to Leave Microsoft

Another Microsoft search executive is rumored to be leaving the company. The latest news broke in early March 2007 as Microsoft continues to struggle to compete with Google in Internet search.

According to Reuters news service, the Microsoft executive most responsible for closing the gap on Web search with Google is leaving MSN. Chris Payne, corporate vice president of the new Windows Live Search, is leaving Microsoft to start his own company in Seattle, said the source, who asked not to be identified. Microsoft representatives declined to comment.

The news comes at a time when Microsoft continues to struggle for share of the keyword search market against Google. Microsoft has overhauled MSN and related search products several times in the last two years with many new looks and features.

Google still handles over 3 billion keyword search queries monthly, while Microsoft averages just over 700 million searches a month according to the latest comScore numbers.

Microsoft has improved its share of the keyword search pie however the market share increases have only been marginal.

Mr. Payne, who rejoined Microsoft in 2001 after a three-year stint at Amazon.com, played a key role in persuading the company to develop its own search engine instead of relying on Yahoo to power MSN search results. Prior to Amazon, Payne spent eight years at Microsoft.

Microsoft's failure to recognize the keyword search medium and late start in the search medium has kept MSN at a huge disadvantage versus Google and Yahoo. Those companies made billions selling advertising tied to keyword search results while Microsoft scrambled to build a search business model of its own.

Payne could become the second executive from Microsoft's Internet arm in the past week planning to leave the company. Blake Irving, a Microsoft vice president who oversees the new MSN AdCenter that sells ads next to search results, also plans to retire from Microsoft.