RSSYahoo back on the menu for Microsoft?
At a new, low, low price, no less!
Actually the company denies that it is interested in Yahoo again, even as it works to derail the Yahoo/Google partnership. But Ben Romano at the Seattle Times has a fairly convincing take on why Ballmer's speculation at ITXpo, running contrary to the company's stated position, are nonetheless a better picture of the ultimate goals of the business. If Ballmer is interested, Romano argues, then Microsoft is interested, or his effectiveness as CEO with genuine leadership and vision are called into question. So, the denials can be seen more tactically than otherwise.
Of course, if that is the case, then I have to put my pet conspiracy theory away again.
Microsoft will certainly do well if it acquires Yahoo. Some of the reasons are: A great brand name on the Internet that is well established since the mid 1990s, users like me who are accustomed to doing a Yahoo search in addition to doing searches using Google, MSN, Ask.com and other search engines, and a Web site with popular features like geocities, Yahoo games, and chat. In addition to 275 million Yahoo e-mail users around the world.
I’m not sure that’s such a foregone conclusion, although I think the ground rules have changed a bit from when it was clearly a terrible idea. You’re making a lot of assumptions about their ability to integrate the businesses which I don’t think are necessarily warranted given the difficulty of merging such disparate technologies and cultures. With enough time, sure, it could work out well. In the short term… well, I notice you listed a Hotmail e-mail address… have you had it long enough to remember what a train-wreck the Hotmail Linux to Windows migration was? You could see the same thing writ large if Microsoft attempted to do what you seem to be suggesting with Yahoo.