Research In Motion announced today that they will indeed partner with Microsoft to provide an integrated Live Search feature with the BlackBerry Browser and BlackBerry Maps. This comes after an announcement earlier this year that promised integration of Windows Live features on BlackBerry devices.
It surprises me some that RIM has been working so closely with MS, seeing as MS provides heavy competition in the smartphone OS market. It definitely appears that RIM is trying to distance itself from Google, a move that we will have to wait to see the results of.
From the Press Release:
BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to use Microsoft Live Search as their search engine of choice within the BlackBerry Browser as well as access Live Search on Mobile.BlackBerry.com. Live Search will leverage the wireless data optimization capabilities of the BlackBerry(R) solution to deliver results quickly while users are on the go. BlackBerry smartphone customers will also be able to use Live Search to perform contextual, location-sensitive searches or look for nearby points of interest from inside BlackBerry Maps.
Keep an eye out for this integration before the years end! And of course, we will let you know if we hear of any more information. If you would like to take a look at the full press release, you can do so here.
