Do you rely on Microsoft Bing Search APIs? Price hike incoming
(2023/02/20)
- Reference: 1676905210
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/02/20/rely_on_microsoft_bing_search/
- Source link:
Microsoft is implementing massive price hikes for developers that use the Bing Search API, with some of the tiers scheduled to see rises up to nine times their current level.
The overhauled price list is due to be introduced from the start of May and is applicable globally, Redmond said yesterday – potentially ruining the sabbath for employers of hard pressed software engineers.
"The existing Microsoft Bing Search APIs will increase in price effective May 1, 2023," [1]Microsoft confirmed . "The price increase will apply to all markets. Starting May 1, 2023, you'll be charged the new price for all Microsoft Bing APIs."
[2]
Got that? So nice Microsoft felt the need to say it twice. Why is this taking place? "We periodically assess the value and pricing of our services to meet market demands and along the pricing of our products and services with customers trends and preferences."
[3]
[4]
Microsoft HQ in Redmond said the "new pricing model reflects more accurately the technology investments Bing continues to make to improve Search."
One bit of good news is that the free instance offers 1,000 transactions free per month, and that remains unchanged. However, increases for the paid instances of S1 to S9 range from 257 percent to 900 percent.
[5]
Bing Search APIs are charged based on the number API calls, and the plans are pay-as-you-go. If developers exceed the specified usage limit in a tier, usage is throttled "to be within the mentioned limit," Microsoft says.
Anyone wanting to move to a higher tier will be able to call Microsoft where an account executive will be only too happy to help.
Just weeks ago, [6]Twitter said it was going to charge for access to its API , eliminating free use. Musk's social media platform said its dataset was among the "world's most powerful." Implementation of that decision was subsequently delayed, with no start date now mentioned.
[7]Microsoft to cap daily Bing AI queries to stop the bot delivering daft responses
[8]Microsoft's new AI BingBot berates users and can't get its facts straight
[9]Take the blue pill: Keanu Reeves has had enough of AI baloney
[10]Satya Nadella wants to make Google dance in battle for AI chat-powered web search
[11]Microsoft tells people to prepare for AI search engine that goes Bing!
Microsoft Bing has itself fallen under the spotlight in recent weeks, after it tested AI additions to the search engine with users across more than 160 countries. It is an integration of ChatGPT-like tech from OpenAI, which Microsoft has heavily invested in.
Google launched its own tool, Bard, but the public demo didn't go according to plan, [12]wiping $120 billion off the company's share price in the process. However, [13]AI-powered Bing was also found to generate false information too. Hype around generative chat AI is building.
[14]
We've asked Duck Duck Go and Ecosia, both which rely on Bing APIs, to comment on the price hikes.
Developers may find it unacceptable that Microsoft hoists price rises on them at the drop of a hat, and it perhaps shows the limitations of operating in a cloud ecosystem in which too few companies have too much power.
Could this be that AI-powered Bing is a lot more expensive in compute time? Did this force Microsoft's hand? We've asked those questions. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/apis/pricing-update
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/02/twitter_eliminating_all_free_api/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/20/ai_news_roundup/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/17/microsoft_ai_bing_problems/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/15/keanu_reeves_ai/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/13/in_brief_ai/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/07/microsoft_bing_ai/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/alphabet_bard_mistake/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/14/microsoft_ai_bing_error/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The overhauled price list is due to be introduced from the start of May and is applicable globally, Redmond said yesterday – potentially ruining the sabbath for employers of hard pressed software engineers.
"The existing Microsoft Bing Search APIs will increase in price effective May 1, 2023," [1]Microsoft confirmed . "The price increase will apply to all markets. Starting May 1, 2023, you'll be charged the new price for all Microsoft Bing APIs."
[2]
Got that? So nice Microsoft felt the need to say it twice. Why is this taking place? "We periodically assess the value and pricing of our services to meet market demands and along the pricing of our products and services with customers trends and preferences."
[3]
[4]
Microsoft HQ in Redmond said the "new pricing model reflects more accurately the technology investments Bing continues to make to improve Search."
One bit of good news is that the free instance offers 1,000 transactions free per month, and that remains unchanged. However, increases for the paid instances of S1 to S9 range from 257 percent to 900 percent.
[5]
Bing Search APIs are charged based on the number API calls, and the plans are pay-as-you-go. If developers exceed the specified usage limit in a tier, usage is throttled "to be within the mentioned limit," Microsoft says.
Anyone wanting to move to a higher tier will be able to call Microsoft where an account executive will be only too happy to help.
Just weeks ago, [6]Twitter said it was going to charge for access to its API , eliminating free use. Musk's social media platform said its dataset was among the "world's most powerful." Implementation of that decision was subsequently delayed, with no start date now mentioned.
[7]Microsoft to cap daily Bing AI queries to stop the bot delivering daft responses
[8]Microsoft's new AI BingBot berates users and can't get its facts straight
[9]Take the blue pill: Keanu Reeves has had enough of AI baloney
[10]Satya Nadella wants to make Google dance in battle for AI chat-powered web search
[11]Microsoft tells people to prepare for AI search engine that goes Bing!
Microsoft Bing has itself fallen under the spotlight in recent weeks, after it tested AI additions to the search engine with users across more than 160 countries. It is an integration of ChatGPT-like tech from OpenAI, which Microsoft has heavily invested in.
Google launched its own tool, Bard, but the public demo didn't go according to plan, [12]wiping $120 billion off the company's share price in the process. However, [13]AI-powered Bing was also found to generate false information too. Hype around generative chat AI is building.
[14]
We've asked Duck Duck Go and Ecosia, both which rely on Bing APIs, to comment on the price hikes.
Developers may find it unacceptable that Microsoft hoists price rises on them at the drop of a hat, and it perhaps shows the limitations of operating in a cloud ecosystem in which too few companies have too much power.
Could this be that AI-powered Bing is a lot more expensive in compute time? Did this force Microsoft's hand? We've asked those questions. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/apis/pricing-update
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/02/twitter_eliminating_all_free_api/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/20/ai_news_roundup/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/17/microsoft_ai_bing_problems/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/15/keanu_reeves_ai/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/13/in_brief_ai/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/07/microsoft_bing_ai/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/alphabet_bard_mistake/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/14/microsoft_ai_bing_error/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-OnNKEqpSIhldSjfAkOGQAAABE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Makes cents
chivo243
Gotta pay for that new AI Bing...
AI response
Jonathan Richards 1
Someone asked the NewBing "How much should we be charging meatsacks to ask you dumb questions?" and got the answer "Nine times more. Ask me again next week..."
Someone else's API
elsergiovolador
If you are making a product that depends on 3rd party API for its core functionality, you are building your business on sand.
Nothing wrong in that if you can achieve a healthy margin and be prepared to close shop at any time once the 3rd party API owner has a bad day.
Also nothing wrong if you are using it as a stop gap and building your own in the meantime.
What happens when everyone moves to Google?
Charlie Clark
Which will probably be the consequence of the action. Does Microsoft finally get the message? Shut Bing down and petition for an anti-trust suit? Or does it launch another shitty application to try and promote Bingpt?
Poor Microsoft
SatNad and his fellow 'C Suites' must be finding it hard to buy their morning Coffee's,
Watch out for those pesky $10.99/month Windows subscriptions before the end of the year. The poor BOD have those payments on their superyachts/islands/countries to maintain (sic)