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Whilst MSN Web Search is at least now in the same league as Google and Yahoo, the same cannot be said of MSN image search. However, Picsearches database of hundreds of millions of images will propel Microsoft's image search from a clear 'work in progress' to something that can at least be taken seriously.

Picsearch's database is well regarded and allows Microsoft to compete directly with Google and Yahoo's established image libraries without the delay and expense of having to build its own.

`The new MSN Search service offers a large index to help consumers quickly and easily find the information that is of interest to them,` commented Justin Osmer, product manager at MSN. `MSN is proud to team up with Picsearch to offer a vast index of high-quality images that are relevant to our consumers' queries.`