New MSN Engine?

MSN Beta Search

[rankboy]

Hey everyone,
I just got a referral today from:
[beta.search.msn.com...]
Is MSN doing away with Inktomi and starting their own index?

[engine]

Hi Rankboy,

I'm still seeing Ink there, at the time I made the searches.

What, in the referral, suggests there were no Ink results there?

[rankboy]

There wasn't really anything that suggested no inktomi. The results seem to be the same except I am getting different numbers of how many results returned when I compare it with their regular search. I had heard something that Inktomi was losing their deal with MSN and AOL and thought this might be MSN's replacement if that were to happen. Have you seen this MSN Beta Search before?

[lawman]

Checked out the beta and compared to search.msn.com. Search for term 'georgia dui laws" on beta returned results without L$ directory, while search.msn.com search for same term had the L$ listing.

Lawman

[rcjordan]

beta.search.msn pops up every now and then, check the date on this thread

[webmasterworld.com...]

[rankboy]

I also noticed one of my pages ranks in the top 10 for one of the keywords I am targeting on the beta version and not on the regular version.

[keywordbuys]

I receieved a few beta hits as well. Checked it out, didn't look different.

[stcrim]

I don't see any difference in the beta that the straight MSN search

-s-

[markd]

They seem to serve a 'beta' version just before a change or addition of new functionality to the search.

Wonder what it will be this time?

[keywordbuys]

probably some revision to include the amazing new Looklistings, nothing like a purely paid SERP to give you the relevance you need.