Microsoft ditches Bing; befriends Baidu in China

MUMBAI, INDIA: In a first of sorts, Microsoft is ignoring its own search engine platform-Bing, and shaking hands with the Chinese platform Baidu.

Targeted at encouraging Microsoft Edge browser users in China, Microsoft beleives that befriending a search engine platform or otherwise arch rival (Baidu) and ditching its own baby (Bing—which eerieely rhymes with Chinese word for sickness), will serve the desired purpose.

With the new announcement, Baidu will now be the default page for Microsoft in China.

According to media reports, the deal is among a slew of partnerships with Chinese firms that Microsoft announced Wednesday as China's President Xi Jinping met tech executives in Seattle on his first state visit to the US. Xi toured Microsoft's headquarters with CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft also struck a new deal with Xiaomi. The Chinese smart phone company has agreed to adopt Windows Azure to provide cloud services to customers.

Last year, the Chinese government said it was investigating how the company distributed its software, and even went so far as to ban the Windows 8 operating system from government computers. Microsoft should hope that the new development would trigger a new wave of friendship between not only the two governments, but also a softening of stand towards the software giant, who has faced several roadblocks in China since the past few years.