Microsoft: Bing it on, Google!

A newly-upgraded search engine from Microsoft is hoping to take back some of the share of the search market currently held by Google and Yahoo!.

Originally developed under the code name Kumo, the search engine is now rumoured to be released as Bing and will debut in June with an advertising campaign costing an estimated $100 million (£63.27 million).

But the New York Post's Holly Sanders Ware speculated that Google's "powerful brand" could be a stumbling block for Bing.

She added that many analysts are predicting the new Microsoft campaign will be similar to Apple's successful Mac vs PC ads - which were popular on both sides of the Atlantic - and may also feature comparisons.

Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer is expected to appear at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference this week.

It is thought that he may offer a demonstration of the new search engine service - which is tipped to replace Microsoft's existing Live Search brand - ahead of its official launch next month.