According to Microsoft, it has reached a deal with HP (Hewlett Packard) under which the latter will be installing Live Search Toolbar on all HP Consumer PCs starting in 2009. The agreement also states that the preloaded browsers in the HP PCs will be set to default for Microsoft Live Search.

Kevin Johnson (President, Platforms & Services Division) said, “This agreement with HP is a strategic indicator of our increased focus on securing broad-scale distribution for Live Search. This is the most significant distribution deal for Live Search that Microsoft has ever done, and we are very pleased to be partnering with HP to help bring Live Search to millions of consumers across North America.”

The MSN Live Search Toolbar in the HP PCs will be using Microsoft Silverlight user experience capabilities, empowering HP with more customization options. This toolbar is aimed at making user reach to HP support even easier. By integrating certain customizable options, users would be able to use HP online services like Snapfish and customer support.

According to Ulf Claesson (VP of Worldwide Attach at HP), “This agreement provides HP customers with an outstanding search product in Live Search, as well as a user-friendly, fully customizable way to access their favorite online services. Microsoft shares HP’s passion for delivering world-class technology to consumers in meaningful ways, and today’s announcement will help to provide an even more personal computing experience for HP customers.”

Here is the Press Release for the HP deal:

Microsoft Live Search Toolbar to Be Distributed on 2009 HP Consumer PCs

North American distribution deal also includes Live Search browser defaults, custom toolbar based on Microsoft Silverlight.

REDMOND, Wash. — June 2, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has won a key distribution deal with HP, the world’s largest PC manufacturer, to install a Live Search-enabled toolbar on all HP consumer PCs planned to ship in the United States and Canada, beginning in January 2009. As part of this deal, the default search engine setting in the browser on all HP consumer PCs will also be set to Microsoft Live Search.

“This agreement with HP is a strategic indicator of our increased focus on securing broad-scale distribution for Live Search,” said Kevin Johnson, president of the Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft. “This is the most significant distribution deal for Live Search that Microsoft has ever done, and we are very pleased to be partnering with HP to help bring Live Search to millions of consumers across North America.”

Microsoft is building a custom, Live Search-enabled toolbar for HP customers that takes advantage of the exceptional user experience capabilities of Microsoft Silverlight. The toolbar will provide HP with customization capabilities within the buttons on the toolbar, providing quick and easy access to a variety of online services and tools, such as Snapfish by HP, the company’s online photo service, and HP customer support.

“This agreement provides HP customers with an outstanding search product in Live Search, as well as a user-friendly, fully customizable way to access their favorite online services,” said Ulf Claesson, vice president of Worldwide Attach at HP. “Microsoft shares HP’s passion for delivering world-class technology to consumers in meaningful ways, and today’s announcement will help to provide an even more personal computing experience for HP customers.”

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