Dec 4, 2009 at 9:19am ET by Greg Sterling

Yahoo EVP Hilary Schneider told the Reuters Global Media Summit in New York that Yahoo was seeing "incredible . . . extraordinary" growth in mobile (she means usage primarily). The company, by several metrics, is one of the largest in mobile. It operates one of the top three mobile ad networks in the US and enjoys a massive global, mobile footprint. But the question is: will Yahoo be able to keep up in mobile over time? Among the big internet companies Yahoo has been the leader in mobile advertising to date. However Google recently bought both AdMob (in a highly publicized announcement) an [...]

Canada, Australia Give OK To Microsoft-Yahoo Deal

Nov 24, 2009 at 7:31pm ET by Matt McGee

The governments of Canada and Australia have given their okay to the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo Search Deal. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its findings, which say that "the proposed agreement was unlikely to result in a substantial lessening of competition." The ACCC points to an existing deal in which Microsoft is using Yahoo's paid search platform in Australia, and says that the two companies' "share of online paid search advertising queries in Australia was limited." (Ouch.) The Canadian Competition Bureau has not yet published its findings, but [...]

Google’s Schmidt: Independent Yahoo Still Important To Competition

Sep 21, 2009 at 9:52am ET by Danny Sullivan

Last year, Google and Yahoo were denied a deal that would have left Yahoo with its own search technology, after the US Department Of Justice rattled its anti-trust saber. This year, Yahoo's pursuing a deal to sell off its tech to Microsoft. While Google CEO Eric Schmidt sees his company's former deal as "part of history," he said Google still feels an "independent" Yahoo is important. Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz is banking heavily on the idea that Yahoo can stay competitive in search even without its own search technology. I wondered if Schmidt agreed, given how much he knows Google spend [...]

What’s Yahoo’s “Plan B” For Search?

Sep 12, 2009 at 4:27pm ET by Danny Sullivan

The Microsoft-Yahoo search deal isn't a forgone conclusion. In fact, news out yesterday suggests the companies may face serious regulatory hurdles. Potentially, it won't be allowed. That leaves me wondering. What's Yahoo's Plan B? Does it even have a backup plan, especially when CEO Carol Bartz has suggested Yahoo can no longer run search on its own? In June -- before the deal was announced -- Bartz said this to the world: "Yahoo doesn’t have to do anything with Microsoft about anything," Bartz said at an investor conference. Three months later, she reversed herself. A New York T [...]

BT/Yahoo Portal Now Powered By … Not Yahoo, Not Bing, Google!

Aug 27, 2009 at 2:02pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Those with BT broadband in the UK have noticed that the Yahoo/BT portal at bt.yahoo.com has a new search technology provider. You would guess that if Yahoo would replace their own search technology, it would be in exchange for Bing, in light of the recent news about the Bing & Yahoo deal. You would be wrong to think that because Google is now powering the search technology Yahoo/BT portal. Here is a screen capture of the search box that now says, "Powered by Google," taken from ConnectedInternet.co.uk, which tipped us to this: I know the Yahoo and Microsoft deal has not been s [...]

Revisionist History: Bartz Claims Yahoo Was Never A Search Engine

Aug 7, 2009 at 1:12pm ET by Danny Sullivan

The New York Times has an interview out with Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz where she declares that Yahoo has "never been a search company." Astounding, in that that this is not true. Part of me thinks, "Why bother arguing?" As my A Search Eulogy For Yahoo post from last week explains, whatever Yahoo was, if the Yahoo-Microsoft search deal with goes through, Yahoo's done as a search engine. Heck, Bartz had effectively taken it out of the search game weeks before the deal was announced by backing away from search as a feature. Even if the deal should fail -- Yahoo is still finished as a search pla [...]

Micro-Hoo: The Details Emerge With SEC Filing

Aug 5, 2009 at 12:01pm ET by Greg Sterling

First to pounce on the SEC 8-K filing by Yahoo was PaidContent, which provides an extensive bulleted list of many of the deal terms not revealed last week during the frenzy of conference calls and articles that followed the official announcement of the Microsoft-Yahoo search deal. CNET also writes about selected aspects of the deal contained in the filing, specifically an "escape clause" (termination) for Yahoo (see below). And the AP has a short piece on how the deal terms require Microsoft to hire at least 400 Yahoo employees. Here are some verbatim excerpts from the SEC filing: Negotiat [...]

What Site Owners, Web Developers & SEOs Should Know About The Yahoo Microsoft Deal

Jul 30, 2009 at 1:45pm ET by Vanessa Fox

By now, everyone has read all about the news that Yahoo is replacing its search index with Microsoft's Bing. In a way, it's a great story of complete reversal, as in 2002, Microsoft didn't have its own index and instead used Inktomi. Late that year, Yahoo! acquired Inktomi, which spurred Microsoft to start building its own search index to avoid having a search supplier owned by a major competitor. Now Yahoo is ditching its index (including all of the technology it acquired with Inktomi) to use the very index it motivated Microsoft to build. We've read about what this means for advertisers ( [...]

The Microsoft-Yahoo Search Deal, In Simple Terms

Jul 30, 2009 at 12:06am ET by Danny Sullivan

What a day! Still trying to digest all the news about the Yahoo Microsoft search deal? So are we. While answers are still coming in, here's what we know so far. NOTE: The deal has now been approved. See Yahoo & Microsoft Receive Go Ahead To Implement Search Deal. In a nutshell, what just happened? Yahoo and Microsoft both have behind-the-scenes technology used to generate those listings you get when you perform a search. Yahoo's going to give up their technology and use Microsoft's. Why's Yahoo giving up that technology! Running that technology is costly. Rather than ow [...]

A Search Eulogy For Yahoo

Jul 29, 2009 at 3:24pm ET by Danny Sullivan

And then there were two. Make no mistake, Yahoo's out of the search game. I know the spin. Better user interface, new ways to innovate, a winning play. Let's not kid ourselves. They're done. Not today, not necessarily in a year, but down the line at some point. Done. And it's sad, because they were one of the originals. There was a time when the mighty Yahoo roared above all other search engines. When people were so worried about being listed in Yahoo that they pondered lawsuits over the issue, because not being in Yahoo was like not being on the internet at all. Sound familiar? Yeah, [...]

Micro-Hoo Details: Q&A With Mehdi & Schneider

Jul 29, 2009 at 2:57pm ET by Greg Sterling

Danny and I had an opportunity to talk with Microsoft SVP Yusuf Mehdi and Yahoo EVP Hilary Schneider earlier this morning. Both were instrumental in the deal and will be deeply involved going forward. They characterized the parties' search integration as a long-term partnership, which implies ongoing cooperation and a high degree of collaboration. We had a limited time to get a range of questions out but we were able to get a bit more clarity than we had from just the conference call and press release this morning. Yahoo is going to be doing "premium search" sales. What is "premium searc [...]

Microsoft-Yahoo Deals 2008 & 2009, Side-By-Side

Jul 29, 2009 at 1:08pm ET by Danny Sullivan

We're about to do a call with Microsoft and Yahoo for more details about their proposed search deal. As part of that, I wanted to outline what we know so far and how that compares to the deal Microsoft made last year. At first glance, Microsoft is getting a huge bargain courtesy of the US Department Of Justice. Without Google being able to compete for Yahoo's business, the billions that were floating around in 2008 become millions in 2009. Note that we'll be updating this chart throughout the day. For more background on the deal, also see our other articles today: It’s Finally [...]

Live Blogging The MSFT – YHOO Search Deal Press Conference

Jul 29, 2009 at 8:26am ET by Danny Sullivan

Microsoft and Yahoo are making it official: a deal about search. And to share the news, they're gathering thousands of their closest friends to a press conference at 5:30am Pacific time today. Having been awake now for nearly 30 minutes, I'm just itching to get in and live blog this puppy. So come along for the ride. The fun begins shortly. By the way, you can watch at home! A webcast is being offered by Yahoo here and Microsoft here. Live blogging coverage starts shortly. Not soon enough, because the onhold music is killing me. It's like the worst elevator music ever. No words. Blah [...]

It’s Finally Official, Microsoft & Yahoo Make A Deal, Yahoo Gives Up On Search

Jul 29, 2009 at 7:45am ET by Barry Schwartz

As expected, Microsoft and Yahoo have finally struck a deal, one that with regulatory approval, they hope will be in place by early 2010. Microsoft has issued a press release and created a minisite about the deal. A press conference is happening later today (which we'll live blog), and we'll have continuing coverage. The details so far: The term of the agreement is 10 years Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10 year license to Yahoo!'s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate Yahoo! search technologies into its existing web search platforms [Note f [...]

More Speculation On Yahoo-Microsoft Ads Deal

Apr 22, 2009 at 9:01am ET by Greg Sterling

Yesterday on the Yahoo Q1 earnings call, CEO Carol Bartz sent a mixed message of sorts. She said at the outset that Yahoo was going to focus on key areas of the business and was open to "outsourcing" some functions if that made sense. Like me, many people listening must have immediately thought "search." But later in the call she seemed to reaffirm the strategic value of search to Yahoo's overall business, calling it "critical." She spoke at some length about innovations in the user experience and on the advertising side as well, especially about the combination of search and display. She s [...]

MicroHoo Lite And Other Creative Speculation About Yahoo’s Immediate Future

Apr 15, 2009 at 5:46pm ET by Greg Sterling

Yahoo Q1 earnings are coming up next week. There were also some recent, not-so-secret conversations between new CEO Carol Bartz and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about a search deal of some sort or a broader advertising partnership. And there's a fairly credible rumor that more layoffs are coming at Yahoo, which are tied to a reportedly forthcoming reorganization (indeed, again). Into the realm of speculation about the nature of a potential Microsoft-Yahoo ad deal, which is unlikely to be a complete outsourcing of search, Silicon Alley Insider cites Wall Street analyst Youssef Squali's calcul [...]

Layoffs At Microsoft Widely Expected To Be Announced This Week

Jan 21, 2009 at 12:05pm ET by Greg Sterling

A year ago this would have seemed impossible: layoffs at Microsoft. Until relatively recently Redmond was saying that it would be able to weather the recession without significant disruption. However cost cutting is now the order of the day and no one appears immune. The layoff rumors first appeared in December and have steadily resurfaced. One of the early rumors was that as many as 15,000 jobs at Microsoft would be eliminated. However Reuters quotes financial analysts who assert the number will probably half or less than half that figure: Microsoft Corp is expected to post a quarterly pr [...]

Wired: Monopoly, Microsoft And The Anti-Google ‘Conspiracy’

Jan 20, 2009 at 7:29am ET by Greg Sterling

Wired offers a fascinating, if sensational, account of the "plot" by Microsoft, its allies and its operatives to sew discontent over Google's proposed paid search deal with Yahoo: The Plot to Kill Google. The article presents Microsoft as the driving force, along with other allies, behind an effort to stop Google's further dominance in search (via the Yahoo deal) after its own failed bid for Yahoo. Here's an excerpt: [John Kelly, Microsoft's head of strategic relations,] sprang into action, activating his company's vast Washington infrastructure.Microsoft's protracted antitrust battles had [...]

Yahoo & Microsoft Execs Meet Again

Jan 17, 2009 at 12:26am ET by Matt McGee

Valleywag is reporting that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock Thursday in New York City. As you can imagine, news of the meeting has restarted speculation about the on-again, off-again merger/deal talks. The New York Times says that spokespersons for both companies refused to comment about the Ballmer-Bostock meeting. Earlier this week, new Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz mentioned that she's already had an informal conversation with Ballmer. [...]

Carol Bartz’s ‘Gut’ May Stop Yahoo Search Sale To Microsoft

Jan 15, 2009 at 2:49pm ET by Greg Sterling

Clearly "the market" loves the MicroHoo dance and would like to see a transaction. And Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said he would talk anew to the new Yahoo CEO. Now that it's Bartz, apparently there has already been a call in which search was not discussed, according to the the Wall Street Journal: She added that she had spoken casually with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer since accepting her new job, these people said. They added that she didn't go into details of the conversation, which she said was informal. Bartz also reportedly told employees that her instinct or "gut" was not necessari [...]

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