Microsoft is 'pretty confident' it can replace Google with Bing in one market

Microsoft Bing is a very distant second place behind Google when it comes to search engine marketshare globally, but the Redmond company reportedly thinks it can replace Google in at least one region.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters (h/t: Gizmodo) that Microsoft was confident it could fill in the gap left by Google if the search kingpin chose to leave the market. Google has threatened to leave Australia due to a proposed law requiring the likes of it and Facebook to pay news outlets for linking to them.

“I can tell you, Microsoft’s pretty confident. When I spoke to Satya the other day, there was a bit of that,” Morrison told journalists while rubbing his hands, referring to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. This was in response to a question asking whether the government was confident alternative search engines would fill the void left by Google.

Of course, Bing is already available in Australia and Statcounter reports that it only accounts for just under 4% marketshare. So it wouldn’t exactly be a case of Microsoft winning a fight fair and square if it becomes the most popular search engine in the country by virtue of its biggest rival pulling out.

You have to wonder whether Google can risk giving the market to rivals and allowing them to gain a foothold though. After all, it might prove a little difficult for the Mountain View company to completely regain its marketshare if it chose to return to Australia.

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