MSN (finally) launches its engine (in beta).

"Microsoft is also offering search features designed to leverage the company's other online assets. One, called Direct Actions, enables a user to type in the name of a musical artist, song or album and then be linked immediately to Microsoft's MSN Music store.
But Internet search experts and industry analysts said that Microsoft still had far to go to be viewed as a serious competitor to either Google or Yahoo."

The consensus opinion (among all sources reviewed so far) is that MSN is not close to being a threat to either of the majors (Google & Yahoo/Inktomi) for some time to come. One interesting thing to note, confirmed by other articles on the web, is the way all the engines are reaching out to tie in relevant content from other resources. This article describes MSN linking directly to the Microsoft Music Store. A9, the engine introduced recently by Amazon, has major tie-ins to purchasing opportunities. Google has announced several tie-in arrangements with Yellow Page providers.

What does this mean to we small marketers? For the near future, no change, that is, stay close to Google and Inktomi, and keep your links recruitment program actively working. For the longer term, these trends may suggest seeking out more placements in some of the sources that are being "tied-in", for example, it may increase the value of being listed in yellow page listings on the web. If you have product you can sell through Amazon, it might add value to your site (it would anyway, but this movement may increase it.)

Stay tuned!