Windows Live launches SMS search beta

Just two years after Google launched its SMS search service, Microsoft has launched a beta version of its own SMS service that lets you perform Windows Live searches from a cell phone. The service is available to Cingular, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and Alltel customers in the uS.

Here's how it works.

1. Send a SMS text message to WLIVE (95483)
2. For a business, type the name and location (street address, city, state, zip code etc) Example: Starbucks Seattle, or high school 90210
3. Search residential listings with a name and location
4. Reverse phone number lookup
5. Get Instant Answer by starting with a question mark. Example: "? father's day," "? population of France"
6. Get word definitions using a D instead of an ? Example: "D mollify"
7. Within a minute or so, you'll receive an SMS reply with the answer to your query.

There's a whole bunch of other features. For example, you can find area codes by texting "area code + city name." You can also get stock quotes, perform math calculations, etc.

Tags: search, sms, sms search, SmsSearch, windows live, WindowsLive