Microsoft Now Won't Automatically Make Bing Default to Office 365 ProPlus Users

[engine]

Last month Microsoft said it would install Bing as the default search to Office 365 ProPlus [webmasterworld.com] users, however, it has decided to backtrack on that move, certainly for the time being.

It's changed it's plan as follows...

The Microsoft Search in Bing browser extension will not be automatically deployed with Office 365 ProPlus.

Through a new toggle in Microsoft 365 admin center, administrators will be able to opt in to deploy the browser extension to their organization through Office 365 ProPlus.

In the near term, Office 365 ProPlus will only deploy the browser extension to AD-joined devices, even within organizations that have opted in. In the future we will add specific settings to govern the deployment of the extension to unmanaged devices.

We will continue to provide end users who receive the extension with control over their search engine preference.

[techcommunity.microsoft.com...]

[bill]

I glossed over this one initially. I didn't realize just how invasive this would have been. Wow.

The release is a great example of marketing-speak that totally understates the amount of wrath I saw online. I would probably rather use Bing than Google at this point, but I certainly wouldn't want MS forcing a search engine on all my users.

[lammert]

They seem to have forgotten the Internet Explorer antitrust lawsuit in 2001 and the long-lasting negative effects of people's trust in their behavior and motives. Good for them that they decided to withdraw their current plans before actual damage took place.

[engine]

They seem to have forgotten the Internet Explorer antitrust lawsuit in 2001

They have, but then, I guess they look around and see what others are doing and think, "we can do that, too."