MSN and Yahoo In Talks?

Microsoft Blogger Floats Rumor Mill Boat

[Brett_Tabke]

[computerworld.co.nz...]

Ian McAllister, a program manager for Microsoft's MSN division, says in a posting that he had a meeting with "some senior players at another Tier 1 internet company" who expressed interest in helping Microsoft compete with Google.

According to the posting, the company, which McAllister declined to name, spoke with Microsoft about the possibility of finding new ways to team with the Redmond, Washington, company to help advance its search and advertising business.

"At the end of the discussion one of the people I was meeting with threw out a blanket offer to brainstorm other ways in which our companies might work together," McAllister writes in the posting.

[PaulPA]

Considering Yahoo's control of the patent on keyword advertising it would make sense that they would team up. However, I doubt seriously that Yahoo would integrate MSN's search. More likely it would be as an advertising play.

Overall, though, I do not see what Yahoo would get out of this unless MSN gave up search! Now that would be interesting and would really create some buzz if it came to that. May also catch the attention of anti-trust folks.

[ByronM]

I dunno.. i could see yahoo being thrilled to get action on the desktop integration and with Microsoft. Adcenters development while slow and cumbersom and still a tad quirky is better than overture in many ways.. could they partner on adcenter technology and search technology and lower operating costs and better compete against google doing so? i would say "you bet"

[Marc_P]

Like many of us, I have to write my predictions for search in 2006. This is great food for thought!

[Dayo_UK]

Well the MSN search team certainly need help - perhaps they have given up already and they will go back to Yahoo results. :)

If so fair enough - they tried and realized they failed.

But of course that is not going to happen :(

[rustybrick]

Also at [webmasterworld.com...]

[ByronM]

If so fair enough - they tried and realized they failed.

Hard to fail when you're just starting. MSN search isn't half bad.. As far as best serps i'd take Yahoo over google anyday. Google is just so messy

[grelmar]

There are some aspects of the MSN algo that seem to get it right.

If MSN and Yahoo put their search teams together to work on a new, blended algo, it might just be the critical mass of brainpower needed to come up with a true Google Killer engine.

MSN search is still far short of the mark. But people laughed at the first versions of Windows compared to the Mac.

MS is big, powerful, and more patient than people give them credit for. They have a long history of making the moves necessary to dominate markets they go after.

[growingdigital]

There's no way it's Yahoo. I think Microsoft's relationship with Yahoo is as competitive as Microsoft vs. Google.

My money is on Barry Diller's InterActive Corp [iac.com]. With their recent acquisition of Ask, a partnership with MSN makes perfect sense.

Remember you read it here first ;)

[mooret]

I really like Mr and Mrs gates for their great philanthropic work so heres an idea for them.

Bill should visit IBM . Microsoft's research labs are exactly like IBM's . Both companies employ some of the most brilliant people and those brilliant people come up some great research and developments yet Microsoft doesn't bother to monetize the results and the same happens with IBM.

An example is a program called Wallop that microsoft developed which could wipe the floor with myspace when it was first developed back about three years ago and its still being improved yet they keep it hidden.

Whilst IBM has thousands of patents to its name.

What im saying it these two huge power houses have the knowledge and people to knock google down flat within a few months yet bill doesn't bother. If I was bill gates Id be straight on the phone to Almaden

[surftrack]

if ya keep reading, there is more speculation that it's not yahoo...but that it's comcast or ATT

[steveb]

What company is it 99% likely that we all have had dealings with? Obviously not Comcast. ATT or Yahoo maybe. That 99% claim is a pretty strong one.

[christopher w]

My money is on Barry Diller's InterActive Corp. With their recent acquisition of Ask, a partnership with MSN makes perfect sense.

In no possible scenario would 99% of his readers be customers of IAC.

[GameMasterM]

Topic won't die-- L.A. Times today revives the rumors that MSFT is in talks with Yahoo. Says Y declines a 60 bil. offer but may bite at 90 bil.
What tells me there is some truth behind this conjecture?