Microsoft has announced a new partnership with Baidu, the hugely popular Chinese search engine.
In China, Baidu.com will be the default home page and search engine for the new Microsoft Edge browser. Additionally, Baidu will deliver Universal Windows Applications for search, video, cloud and maps for Windows 10.
The company plans to deliver a customized experience for Baidu’s more than 600 million users, featuring local browsing and search. Microsoft will make it easy for customers to upgrade to the official Windows 10 via a Baidu “Windows 10 Express” distribution channel.
Microsoft isn’t abandoning Bing in China in its support for Baidu. According to Yusuf Mehdi, Windows and devices vice president and author of the blog post announcing the partnership, “We remain deeply committed to delivering Bing around the world and we’re also committed to offering locally relevant experiences – like Baidu in China – to provide great Windows 10 experiences.”
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According to Mehdi, over 10 million devices are currently running Windows 10 in China and the company already has partnerships with Tencent, the social networking and gaming service; Qihoo 360, an internet security company; and Lenovo, a PC manufacturer. Xiaomi, the smartphone distributor, is helping Microsoft test Windows 10 on mobile devices via its Xiaomi Mi 4 users.
➤ Windows 10 in China [Windows]
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