Bing to start roll-out of new search features

Microsoft unveiled some interesting new features to it’s Bing search engine today at the Search Engine Strategies conference in New York City. While the new features are available to some, the company said the majority of users will see the roll-out happen over the next couple weeks.

The company continues its push to develop a true decision engine, one that tries to determine the searchers request and give responding results, rather than the traditional Google like search results. Bing will now host some appealing upgrades, including Quick Tabs, real-time search, and an integrated map with Foursquare.

To help the user find the most relevant information, Quick Tabs work to organize and arrange the most robust information upfront. A search on Boston, for example, provides upfront information on weather, attractions and flight deals (see image below). Recently signed deals with Twitter and Facebook, help to put more real-time information within search results. And, finally, a map integrated with Foursquare is available that when activated shows local check-in locations and their “mayors” — users who are most active at any one location.

Among the major search engines, Microsoft’s Bing continues to nibble its way up the charts according to recent research by comScore. The question that remains is will these new features continue to help Bing gain market share by pulling in users from other engines, or will they just be a few nice bells and whistles for current users.