Microsoft is always trying to gain more of the search market share, and with competitors like Google and Yahoo!, it may be turning to a broader audience to find new technologies to incorporate into its own search engine.
So is Microsoft planning to launch an incubator focused on Bing like it has done with its DevLabs?
It appears Microsoft has tried to quietly register the domain names Bingcubator.com and Bingcubator.net through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor.
Although the actual owner’s name is hidden, both domain names were registered on November 15th to DNstination Inc., the WHOIS privacy service provided by MarkMonitor. But you can guarantee the names are owned by Microsoft, as Microsoft is a client of MarkMonitor and its own Bing.com is registered with the company.
While it’s speculation, an incubator that connects Microsoft with developers who want to see their ideas integrated with the search engine, seems like a very good possibility.
In mid October, Microsoft launched Bing Booster, aimed at helping startups. Now it looks like the program could be expanding with Bingcubator.
It’s also possible that Bingcubator could be an entirely separate program, that sends a clear message to its competition that it wants any and all developers (not just startups) to help the company innovate its search engine technology.
At the time of this story, neither Bingcubator.com nor Bingcubator.net resolve to a web page.