Ballmer: Yahoo brand will live
Microsoft says it can find $1 billion in cost cuts by combining Yahoo's business with its own Internet services operation, however CEO Steve Ballmer says the Yahoo name isn't one of the things on the chopping block.
"Yahoo, the brand, will live," Ballmer told BusinessWeek.
Even if the brand lives, though, it is unclear which of Yahoo's technologies Microsoft would adopt. A merged company would have to choose among two e-mail systems, to ad platforms and two instant messaging systems, to name just a few of the many overlaps.
Microsoft has thus far offered few details on what it might look to cut if its deal goes through, and Ballmer didn't offer much in the way of new details in the magazine interview.
Of course, the biggest hurdle at the moment is convincing Yahoo to take its offer, one which has declined in value since it was made last week.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
from the transaction! I dont think MS will make full value of deal to justify purchase price....
unless they come up with a new angle to better Google and have a lot of revenue roll in.
in the meantime Google is thinking up new schemes to bring in more users and revenue.
also, if the deal goes through, Yahoo is deceased!
+ Yahoo has some global reach
+ Yahoo is better name than live, which is a pun for the live
+ Facebook investment might be a long term goldmine/mash or a flash.
- Gates/Ballmer need a search brain. Unsure if they can forge way into the space old school msway.
- That's an awful expensive dessert.
See this article for complete details:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/02/01/microsoft-or-bust-for-yahoo.aspx
But if ever it did come to fruition as the BORG would say on Star
Trek say "Resistance is futile." Yahoo whether Microsoft decides to
further the Yahoo brand or not, will tarnish it either way just by the
association. Much like other brands e.g. Bungee - Who the heck are
these guys now?
Why would Microsoft pay 41 Billion to get rid of of a well known brand name? What would they gain from that? nothing... that's not a very wise investment.
Microsoft and Yahoo would work together to combine forces. They already have with Live Messenger---you can IM Yahoo member from Live messenger and vice versa. It would make sense for them to continue to move forward.
But, it's obvious, there are some areas that overlap. what happens to Zimbra? Who knows. My guess that would get axed, as Microsoft already offeres hosted MS Exchange accounts, but, there could be some underlying technologies in that they could incorporate into the next version of Exchange or whatever.
If this acquisition goes through, it will be a long process of merging / axing overlapping areas.
This should be interesting.
/P
MS-Yahoo!
- Look at all the Yahoo divisions:
- by Phil-IT February 8, 2008 10:33 AM PST
- Everything Yahoo:
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