Microsoft Corp. formally announced the launch of MSN Search, its Web search engine that has been in beta testing for several months.

MSN Search will now permanently replace the Yahoo! search technology the MSN Web site has been using. However, Yahoo!'s Overture technology will still be used for the paid search listings.

"Our mission at Microsoft is to use the power of software to solve our customers' toughest problems. Searching the Internet today is a challenge, and it is estimated that nearly half of customers' complex questions go unanswered. That's why we're proud of our new MSN Search service, a simple and powerful tool that helps you find the answers you want from sources as diverse as Web pages, images, news headlines, music downloads, and even files on your PC," says MSN Chairman Bill Gates in a company statement.

Microsoft also is eliminating some text advertisements and other material from its MSN Web site, claiming that the new site will load up to 50 percent faster.

The official MSN Search contains new features such as the incorporation of MSN Search into other products like MSN Messenger, Hotmail, and MSN's homepage. The previous beta version was only available on separate test site. MSN Search also enables users to news as well as music information.

"We're committed to continuous improvement in the speed, precision and ease of use of our search service. This built-from-the-ground-up version of MSN Search provides an infrastructure that enables us to rapidly innovate and give consumers precisely the information they're looking for, no matter where it's located," says Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, MSN Information Services.