The Associated Press is reporting that Microsoft has signed a deal that will allow the company's search engine to index the French National Library's Gallica digital archive.
Under the agreement, Bing will be able to search through over 1.25 million books and documents, including manuscripts by Molière dating back to the 1600's and newspapers from the 19th century.
The deal is non-exclusive, meaning that other search providers could sign similar agreements to gain access to the archives. However, it could still be a major boost for Bing as it prepares to launch in select European territories sometime in the next few months.
Though the French version of the search-engine is currently live, it's no more than a reskinned version of the previous Live Search site. This means that it doesn't get the benefit of the 'decision engine' that has driven the site's increased popularity in the US and UK. Microsoft is working hard to roll the full site to new territories, though.
The company will face an uphill struggle as it attempts to penetrate the Google stronghold that is mainland Europe. While the software-giant has made significant inroads in the US and even put a dent in Google's foothold in the UK, it has historically struggled on the continent. Having access to such a significant collection of historic data could generate significant traffic, as well as providing a unique advertising focus that could help improve the French public's perception of Bing.
