Search Engine Optimization News Blog

After a failed series of talks in 2008, the Yahoo and Microsoft may be back in the conference room together, Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Carol Bartz confirmed at an on-stage interview at D: All Things Digital.

Bartz said she was talking to Microsoft, but the Yahoo CEO indicated that it was no big deal when asked what level the talks were up to, saying “Yeah, a little bit.” How advanced the negotiations between the two companies might be is up in the air – there may not even be proper ‘negotiations’ at all at this point, but just the confirmation of discussion has rumors flying..

Bartz became CEO of Yahoo in mid-January 2009, after Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang turned down Microsoft’s unsolicited acquisition bid of $31 per share made on February 1, 2008. By July 2008, Microsoft had completely retired its initial offer of $44.6 billion in cash and stock for Yahoo, stating that it would grow its search engine organically instead. Yahoo stock plummeted, the company was nearly the victim of a hostile takeover, and Yang was out.

Bartz did say that she would like to sell Yahoo Search to Microsoft. No figures were revealed, but Yahoo’s CEO indicate that Microsoft would need a significant offer on the table in order to acquire Yahoo Search as well as the “right technology,” and willingness to provide Yahoo with the “right data.”

In other news, Microsoft has been test driving the next step for Live Search, Kumo, with an eye to a release under the brand name Bing. So far the Redmond company is keeping mum on its stand in regard to Yahoo.