Microsoft to take on rivals with Live Search engine

As part of the overhaul, there will be a new look and features, including an easier way to search for images, related links and a scratch pad allowing users to store pictures and information. The search engine had been available in test form and is to officially launch today.

Microsoft has unveiled a new version of its live.com homepage, which provides users with a page where they can choose from items such as weather forecasts, news and recent email messages.

The new stripped-down page looks similar to Google's homepage with its large search box and with its web, images, news and local options.

Christopher Payne, corporate vice-president of Live Search at Microsoft, said: "We now have the base to weave search through our services in ways that bring value to customers. This is just the beginning. We look forward to continued investment in search to deliver services that bring new levels of control and personalisation to the web experience."

The revamp of Live.com follows the launch in August of its online ad platform AdCenter in the UK to handle all of the paid-search traffic on MSN Search and Windows Live.

Microsoft AdCenter helps advertisers to plan their online ad campaigns and improve targeting, and will also rival services from Yahoo! and Google.

At the end of August, Microsoft signed a deal with Facebook, which trails MySpace as the second-largest US social networking site, to manage all its advertising inventory.

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