Microsoft has reasserted itself in the so-called 'browser wars' with the release of a new add-on for rival Mozilla's open-source Firefox browser. The update will allow the optimised use of Microsoft Live Search from directly within Firefox.

"We are happy to report that we have officially integrated Live Search into Firefox by popular demand," wrote Beatrice Oltean, Live Search programme manager, and Debapriya Ray, Live Search senior product manager, in a blog post.

The new add-on, which provides a small search box in the upper right corner of the Firefox browser, boasts an auto-complete feature to help users as they start typing search queries.

Version 2.0 of Microsoft's Live Search API also supports multiple protocols including JSON, XML and Soap, as part of a project called Silk Road, whereas Google's search API supports only Ajax.

As well as losing ground to competing browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari, Microsoft is struggling to secure more of the search market, a lucrative business thanks to search advertising and text adverts placed adjacent to a user's search results.

Microsoft obviously hopes to use its new Firefox add-on to demonstrate that it is serious about increasing platform interoperability, as well as trying to gain a new advantage in the search wars.