March 7 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. named Brad Goldberg, an executive in its Windows business, to oversee marketing for its Internet search engine as the company tries to catch up with Google Inc.

Goldberg will report to Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of Microsoft's online-services unit, Goldberg said in an e-mail late yesterday. Until last month he served as general manager of Microsoft's Windows product management group and helped handle marketing for the release of Windows Vista.

Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, lags behind market leader Google in Internet-search users by a 5-to-1 margin. The online-services unit has lacked senior marketing executives since Microsoft opted to ``part ways'' with Vice President Martin Taylor in June.

To bolster marketing in the Internet business, Berkowitz has also brought in Eric Hadley to promote its MSN network of Web sites. Hadley had been a general manager in Microsoft's Internet- advertising business.

Brian Hall will run marketing for all of Microsoft's Windows Live Internet services other than the search engine, as well as the company's mobile Internet services. Hall used to be an executive for Microsoft's consumer anti-virus product.

Earlier this week Microsoft said Blake Irving, a 15-year veteran in charge of engineering for Windows Live services, will retire in several months.

Shares of Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, fell 14 cents to $27.69 as of 1:49 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. They have dropped 6.8 percent this year before today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dina Bass in Seattle at dbass2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: March 7, 2007 13:54 EST