The online war abi na battle has just begun, what next?

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080201/bs_nm/microsoft_dc_2


Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion

33 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Technology giant Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Friday that it had offered to acquire Internet media company Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) for $44.6 billion in cash and stock.
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Microsoft said it had offered to buy Yahoo for $31 per share, which it said represented a 62 percent premium above the company's closing stock price on Nasdaq on Thursday.

"We have great respect for Yahoo, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market," Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

Yahoo was not immediately available for comment.

Microsoft said it had identified four areas that would generate at least $1 billion in annual synergies for the combined entity.

Yahoo shares rose 56 percent to $29.95 in premarket trading on Friday following the announcement. U.S. stock index futures also jumped after the news was released.

(Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

This is a clear attempt by Microsoft to outmaneuver Google in the search engine sector.

Yahoo has been faltering of recent,shedding 1000 employees,it was inevitable they will be the subject of a take over bid.

Still need to see if the anti-trust agencies will approve of this deal. I wonder what happens to the Yahoo brand,I guess they will keep it.Someone tried matching up Microsoft/Yahoo features:http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080202/microsoft-yahoo-big-mess-comparison/

i will miss yahoo . i ve been a "Yahooligan" for years

what will we now call yahozee? what will be the brand name for yahoo yahoo?

I love microsoft, i also love yahoo, but meeen i dont like this take over at all at all.

first it was facebook, then yahoo, what next?, mayb almighty Adobe

so get ready to hear Microsoft Dreamweaver, Microsoft Flash, Microsoft reader, Microsoft photoshop CS3.

Bill isnt gonna resttill he has it all !!!!!!!

@ nduaj 

Microsoft never bought or took over Facebook. They just invested in the company. Plus Bill Gates doesn't run Microsoft anymore

If you believe everything you read, MSFT might actually be increasiing its bid:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206105005

From an article I read yesterday or so, I blv MSFT even went as far as saying it wdnt mind borrowing money to finance the deal.

So, question: What does MSFT see in YHOO that we don't?