Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft/Yahoo Merger to Take on Google?
Mz6 writes "One faction within Microsoft is promoting a bold strategy in the company's battle with Google:
Join forces with Yahoo. That would be a major departure for Microsoft, the software maker that is legendary for toiling on its own until it captures a new market. However, people familiar with the situation say that Microsoft has considered the idea of acquiring a stake in Yahoo, and that the two companies have discussed possible options over the course of the past year. Currently, talks of an equity stake in Yahoo don't appear to be active, given that Microsoft is focusing on a reorganization that it hopes will re-energize its effort to compete with Google. Two wild cards remain: Steve Ballmer, who has historically shunned large acquisitions, and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, whose support would be key to bringing the necessary Yahoo shareholders on board for a deal. Mr. Yang and others in Yahoo would be hard-pressed to sell to Microsoft, people close to the company say. However, people familiar with Microsoft say its top management remains open to a deal with Yahoo as pressure grows to perform better against Google. The increasing pressure on Microsoft -- not just from Google, but also from its own shareholders, as well as from advertisers that want an alternative to Google -- could help to justify the acquisition or some kind of business collaboration, these people say."
I guess it would focus the evil in one place.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Summary is a troll - there is no mention of a 'merger' in the article text, just cooporation
Here is the article, so you don't have to sit through the silly flash into:
A Microsoft, Yahoo Tie-Up?
MSN Veterans Want a Pact
To Bolster Web-Search Ads
And Better Challenge Google
By ROBERT A. GUTH and KEVIN J. DELANEY
May 3, 2006; Page C1
One faction within Microsoft Corp. is promoting a bold strategy in the company's battle with Google Inc: Join forces with Yahoo Inc.
That would be a major departure for Microsoft, the software maker that is legendary for toiling on its own until it captures a new market. However, people familiar with the situation say that Microsoft has considered the idea of acquiring a stake in Yahoo, and that the two companies have discussed possible options over the course of the past year.
Currently, talks of an equity stake in Yahoo don't appear to be active, given that Microsoft is focusing on a reorganization that it hopes will re-energize its effort to compete with Google, the fast-growing provider of search services and advertising.
Two wild cards remain: Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, who has historically shunned large acquisitions, and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, whose support would be key to bringing the necessary Yahoo shareholders on board for a deal. Mr. Yang and others in Yahoo would be hard-pressed to sell to Microsoft, people close to the company say.
However, people familiar with Microsoft say its top management remains open to a deal with Yahoo as pressure grows to perform better against Google.
The increasing pressure on Microsoft -- not just from Google, but also from its own shareholders, as well as from advertisers that want an alternative to Google -- could help to justify the acquisition or some kind of business collaboration, these people say.
Since 2004, Microsoft has invested heavily to better compete with Google but it has yet to boost its share of search or online advertising. At the same time, Google has released products that some industry experts say could over time eat into Microsoft's core software businesses.
Microsoft executives say that they are investing for the long haul, and that the online-search market is still nascent and has much room for growth. A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment. A Yahoo spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the company doesn't discuss "rumors and speculation."
In one sign that Microsoft may be serious about major acquisitions, it has hired search-industry executive Steve Berkowitz to head MSN, the Internet unit that is building the Web-search business and is leading Microsoft's charge against Google, including Web search. Mr. Berkowitz, the former chief executive of search site Ask.com, is viewed as a likely deal maker at MSN, having completed more than 40 acquisitions in his career, according to a person close to the matter. He starts May 8. Mr. Berkowitz couldn't be reached for comment.
Microsoft's recent quarterly results provided a picture of the pressure it faces from Google. On Thursday, Microsoft said the MSN unit fell into the red and its revenue declined. Those numbers show it is failing to capture the same online-advertising tail wind that is helping Google. By contrast, Google's first-quarter net income rose 60% from a year earlier to $592 million. U.S. online advertising generally rose 30% to $12.5 billion last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau trade group and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Microsoft executives also said they will need to boost investments in online businesses in the next fiscal year to levels far higher than Wall Street had expected. That prompted an 11% selloff of Microsoft shares Friday. The stock has ticked lower this week. In 4 p.m. Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading, shares fell 1.2% to $24.01, after hitting a 52-week low during the day of $23.90.
At its core, the clash between Microsoft and Google centers on Microsoft's attempt to build up its We
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
If I remember correctly, Yahoo! search engine used Google technology.
Farewell, Yahoo! a flight of angels sing thee to thy rest!
"MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
With apologies to all the Google fans out there, the Internet has changed the top search engine several times in the past and it will change it again.
Just about every Internet veteran company has now recognized Google for the threat it is and has declared an all out war against them. Basically, it's Google against everyone. In such cases, everyone usually wins. Unfortunately for Google, they should expect many more actions like IE7 having a default search bar just like FireFox, only defaulting to pointing to MSN Search.
Sorry, Google - it was fun while it lasted.
I'm a big tall mofo.
Does anyone else find it ironic that M$ is partnering with Yahoo! given the recent post concerning Yahoo's shady partnership with spyware companies, especially considering that IE's security holes are one of the reasons that spyware got so bad, so fast? A match made in heaven...
"Tu fui, ego eris" - Virgil
Yeah, they could call themselves Ya'soft - they could sell Viagra too.
In this deal Yahoo will probably loose more than Microsoft will gain.
fuvoo: watch something
I think from Woody Allen (cue lame off topic Woody Allen jokes):
"The lamb may lay down with the lion, but the lamb won't get much sleep at nights".
Considering MSs history of screwing its partners, Yahoo would be insane to 'partner' with MS.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
I can't see this happening, precisely for this reason. Ballmer's ego wouldn't let him co-exist with Yahoo and Yang wouldn't be caught dead letting Ballmer in the building. Eventually it comes down to which one would flinch in a staring contest, but I suspect they'd both go blind before agreeing to work with the other.
GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
That would be a major departure for Microsoft, the software maker that is legendary for toiling on its own until it captures a new market.
Huh? This is just plain not true.
--MarkusQ
Even given this administration's please-bend-me-over attitude towards business, I can't imagine a deal of this sort wouldn't draw some attention from the DOJ. And with their EU counterparts already looking to drop a half-billion-Euro fine on MSFT, something like this would only encourage them to take a hard line.
Then there's the problem that MS has traditionally managed to fsck up most companies they've partnered with, so why would Yahoo willingly get themselves into that situation?
Dunno if I buy that. See:
http://dondodge.typepad.com/the_next_big_thing/200 5/10/microsoft_will_.html
"QDOS became MS-DOS, ForeThought became Powerpoint, SoftDesign became Microsoft Project, Vermeer became FrontPage, PlaceWare became Live Meeting, Vicinity became a key part of MapPoint, nCompass Labs became Content Management Server, Bungie Studios became Halo, HotMail, Visio, Great Plains, Groove Networks"
Or...n dows/story/0,10801,78739,00.html
m ar05/03-10GrooveQA.mspx
o soft-sybari.html
http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/wi
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2005/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/021405-micr
Ballmer: I'm gonna fucking kill Yahoo!
Shareholders: No, Steve - "Merge With"
Ballmer: (Confused Expression) Er-ugh...
Shareholders: M-er-ge w-i-th
Ballmer: (Picks up chair - smiles)
Shareholders: No, Steve - M-eh-her-ge w-i-i-th-h.
Genesis 1:32 And God typed
YHOO +10%
GOOG - no change
I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
It was always my understanding that many of their pieces/parts have a non-MS lineage. For example: CPM begat MS-DOS, Mosaic begat IE, Sybase begat MS SQL, Hotmail begat... well, MS Hotmail. I've heard (unconfirmed) that their TCP/IP stack wasn't exactly home grown either.
Why do people seem intent on pitching these companies against each other? Aren't they ALL making money? What's the matter - dividends are too small? Stock didn't ramp up 100% in 7 days? Didn't make a billion dollars overnight? These days, when people talk about a company "not growing" what they really mean is "I invested to ride the stock price rocket, damnit, not to wait and collect my share of the profits" - and I think this constant Micrsoft-killer, Google-killer kind of crap is related to that.
It seems that Steve and Bill have forgotten rules of acquisition. http://www.sjtrek.com/trek/rules/
#52: Never ask when you can take.
and
#218: Always know what you're buying.
Enjoy,
It's just the normal noises in here.
Pssst... SQL Server was purchased from Sybase. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybase
If this is true, this represents a huge departure from Microsoft's previous M.O.
Prior to this, they used to leverage their OS monopoly, and bundle "free" tools that would enbrace and extend standards in order to capture marketshare in new markets.
Since they're not going to be able to do that any time in the near future (ie. Vista is delayed, and even when it does ship, it's not going to be widely adopted with any speed, due to hardware requirements, different operating paradigm, and evil DRM), they have to take a different approach.
I find that very interesting. I wonder if it's true - and is this a voluntary change in tactics, or a necessary change due to reduced monopoly power?
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Heard a story about a stockbroker's meeting where they all made forecasts about where the market would be in a year.
The clever veteran always took an extreme position, either that there would be a crash or that there would be a spectacular runup.
He figured that nobody would remember a middle-of-the-road forecast but that if the market did crash (or zoom up) he'd get credit for being brilliant.
No, you've got it backwards! Microsoft would start offering shit for free, bundled with every copy of MS Windows!
Oh, wait.... They already do.
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
I hope that Yahoo remembers how Sybase "profited" by their partnership with Microsoft. Microsoft got an enterprise-class RDBMS and Sybase got, well, ......