Microsoft intends to open a research center in Europe, focused on the search technology, in order to improve its Live Search engine.

The new research center is just another step in Microsoft’s effort to catch-up with Google, which currently owns over 50 percent of the international search market.

Also this announcement follows after last month Microsoft unveiled Live Search Casch back, a new service largely based on the technology acquired the Redmond-based company from Jellyfish.

Live Search Cashback will offer rebates to whoever searches and purchases something from the companies enrolled in the new service.

Through its new European search center, Microsoft also hopes to learn some new things about the European searchers and their habits.

However, the location of the new search center is yet to be announced, and Satya Nadella, senior vice president of the Search, Portal and Advertising Group at Microsoft, noted that several cities are considered as the hub.

The new Search Technology Center will closely work with a similar research facility the Search Technology Center in Beijing, China, which opened in October 2005.

Earlier this month, during the Search Marketing Expo conference, Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's platforms and services division, hinted about a possible change of the company’s “Live” brand.

Johnson explained that a brand “fix” is needed as Microsoft decided to drop its bid for Yahoo and improve its Live Search engine.