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Microsoft pockets VideoSurf to create big search waves

Hell, forget the metadata lets SCAN instead

Microsoft has bought San Mateo, California-based VideoSurf for an undisclosed sum.

The company, which was founded in 2006, developed software that scans videos to identify images, thereby doing away with the need to refer back to metadata.

It currently has over 50 million users and could be considered as a would-be rival to Google's YouTube, which operates as a huge video search engine separately from the Chocolate Factory's main homepage.

Microsoft has failed to capitalise on its reinvigorated search estate Bing, so perhaps this acquisition – which TechCrunch suggests cost Redmond $70m – will help the company grab a larger video-viewing audience.

The software vendor said today that it would eventually fold the VideoSurf technology into its Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE products.

“VideoSurf’s content analytics technology will enhance the search and discovery of entertainment content across our platform,” said Microsoft Xbox LIVE director Alex Garden.

“This holiday we will launch voice search across our entertainment partners on Xbox LIVE. Over time, as we integrate VideoSurf’s technology into our system, we are excited about the potential to have content tagged in real time to increase the speed and relevance of the search results.” ®

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