Even for a company the size of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), the $44.6 billion buyout proposal for Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) is a big bet. And it's expensive. Hey, just look at Yahoo's feeble attempts to ward off the bid (such as a deal to merge with MySpace).
On its face, it looks like Microsoft wants several things: the Yahoo brand, the assorted content properties, applications (like Flickr) and the lucrative display-ad business.
But perhaps there is more? Well, according to a recent piece in the New York Times, it looks like Microsoft may also be using the deal to bolster its hugely profitable Office franchise.
In other words, Microsoft will be able to offer low-cost or free versions of its software and monetize it with the large amounts of Yahoo traffic. It's something that Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is already aggressively pursuing.
So, to get perspective on things, I had a chance to talk to David Koretz, who is the CEO and founder of BlueTie (which offers web-based email applications). According to him:
"Yahoo! gives Microsoft access to a huge number of users and leading Web-based applications, but it doesn't solve the monetization problem. They are still an order of magnitude behind Google in per-user monetization. The future of application delivery is the web, but the future of application monetization is definitely not banner ads.
"The combination of Microsoft and Yahoo is a band-aid. It's an aging client-server software company clutching to a maturing display advertising business.
"When Web advertising grows from a $45 Billion business to a $100 Billion business over the next five years, it is not going to be driven by display and search advertising. The future is in mobile, video, and application advertising -- areas that neither Microsoft nor Yahoo have expertise in."
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-14-2008 @ 12:31PM
MTP said...
If I were Microsoft I'd cancel the deal.
Why becasue the only reason for Yahoo being $30 is because of Microsoft.
And the only reason Yahoo is looking for other buyers is greed.
2-15-2008 @ 6:39PM
Donna said...
Yahoo, like Microsoft, is looking for a deal. There's nothing wrong with that. The only problem I see is if Yahoo and Microsoft can't agree to this acquisition. Yahoo will lose. There has been a feud between these two companies for a long time. Digging in their heels because of that feud can be harmful in the long run. Yahoo is playing a fool's game and someone should bring that to their attention.