The Live Search name looks to be nearing the end of its existence.  Barney Pell, the founder and CEO of Powerset who became a search strategist and evangelist for Microsoft post-acquisition, confirmed a pending change with a tweet this weekend.

"Played today with Live search upcoming (to be rebranded) launch pre-beta.  I like the new feature and UX so far," Pell wrote.  Unfortunately, the flow of useful information stopped there, and even the one short message later got deleted (a hat tip goes to Kip Kniskern for catching it).

 Barney Pell

But rumors concerning a brand swap have been circulating for months, so it’s at least interesting to receive semiofficial word that the makeover is moving forward.  This could be quite significant, too – a sign that Microsoft has given up on working with Yahoo and is doing its own thing.

As for any further details, Kumo is the leader in terms of what name onlookers expect to replace Live Search.  Or Viveri could get a nod, since the timing of its launch seems like it may coincide with the freshened product’s beta period.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled and hope that Barney Pell’s lips and/or fingers remain a little on the loose side.