In a move intended to wrest users from rival search engines such as market dominating Google, Microsoft will give business customers service or training credits based on how much employees use Live Search.

"We are conducting a trial programme through which Microsoft is providing service or training credits to a select number of enterprise customers based on the number of Web search queries conducted by their employees via Live Search," the Redmond, Washington, company said in a written statement yesterday.

"As search evolves into more of a productivity tool, and revenue sharing becomes more commonplace across the industry, we are engaging in mutually beneficial partnerships such as this and our recently announced a deal with Lenovo to more easily enable customers to choose Live Search."

Microsoft announced a deal this month to pre-install software that makes Live.com the default page in computers made by the China-based Lenovo.

Microsoft would not disclose how the credits are calculated, saying it depended on the number of personal computers enrolled in the programme and the amount of Live Search use.