Microsoft’s push to continue to make Bing a search engine that helps people make decisions continues today as the software giant introduces a new way to get quick answers on the web. While you could for example simply ask Cortana for Domino’s phone number on your phone, the same has not been quite that easy on the web, until now.
Starting today, searches for local information and directions will result in the related information being presented right at the top of the search results, you wont be able to miss it. So whether you’re looking for the phone number of a local restaurant, directions to said restaurant, opening hours, the distance between two points on a map, or the time it would take to get somewhere from your current location, Bing makes it easier to get your answers.
The new feature works across Bing.com on the desktop as well as the mobile version of the search engine. And while Cortana isn’t as consistent at getting this sort of information and presenting it at the top, the virtual assistant should able to do so soon.
In a blog post detailing the new feature, Microsoft concludes that the company is “exploring ways to help you spend less time searching and more time on the things that matter to you”. They also noted that the directions feature is currently only available in the US, UK, and France, and that the reviews and address feature only works on the desktop. But as is the case with most online features, they tend to expand to other regions all in due time.
