Baidu now says it plans to develop more social-networking services, as it is diversifying from its search-engine business after overcoming a challenge from search giant rival Google.
Analysts say the expansion of social-networking services will help the owner of China's biggest search engine gain users after it posted fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates.
Its fourth-quarter profit rose to 1.16 billion yuan, or 176 million US dollars, from 427.9 million yuan a year earlier.
Baidu accounts for 75.5 percent of China's search-engine market by revenue in the fourth quarter, rising from 73 percent in the previous three months.
Meanwhile, China's biggest Internet company Tencent has also expanded by marketing new services such as social-networking and online games to subscribers of its QQ instant messaging software, which has more than 600 million active user accounts.
Analysts say the expansion of social-networking services will help the owner of China's biggest search engine gain users after it posted fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates.
Its fourth-quarter profit rose to 1.16 billion yuan, or 176 million US dollars, from 427.9 million yuan a year earlier.
Baidu accounts for 75.5 percent of China's search-engine market by revenue in the fourth quarter, rising from 73 percent in the previous three months.
Meanwhile, China's biggest Internet company Tencent has also expanded by marketing new services such as social-networking and online games to subscribers of its QQ instant messaging software, which has more than 600 million active user accounts.
