Does This Help Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Hold Back BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY)?

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) don’t have an easy go at it in the smartphone market. While these two companies continue to fight for market share, they are doing so from far behind iOS and Android.

With this in mind, both companies are looking for a way to set themselves apart from the competition. Even more so, both companies are hoping to lock into the third spot in the market for an easier chance of heading to the top in the near future.

What is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) doing?

According to a recent blog post, Microsoft is  making a change that Windows Phone 8 users are sure to enjoy.

Steve Ballmer and company are upgrading Bing for Windows Phone 8, including new search result categories, streamlined interface, and bigger thumbnails. Along with this, it will bring faster results.

In the next few weeks, these updates are going to show up automatically on those using a Windows 8 smartphone in the United States. From there, additional markets are going to receive the upgrade as well.

The ability to implement Bing, while also making changes such as these, is one of the reasons why Microsoft is in better position than BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). This gives Microsoft something to hang its hat on.

Thorsten Heins and his BlackBerry team are not living in the past. They know that past success has nothing to do with where the company is headed in the future. Unfortunately, the company has yet to do anything that sets it apart from the competition.

Sure, its new BlackBerry 10 operating system is better than anything it offered users in the past. But is this really enough?

There used to be a time when BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) was known as the most secure smartphone. It seems as those days are long gone. Even the Pentagon is opening its doors to other vendors.

Whether or not this latest change from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) works in the company’s favor is up in the air. Regardless of the results, the ability to implement Bing into its smartphones is a big deal.

It is safe to say that the likes of Tim Cook and Larry Page are aware of what Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) are doing. It is also safe to assume that they are not shaking in their boots just yet.

These hedge fund managers seem to like what Microsoft is doing: Sandy Nairn, Kelly Cardwell, Jeffrey Ubben, and James Litinsky.

Do you feel the same way?

Check out the video below for more on BlackBerry 10:

Disclosure: none