Micosoft-Yahoo: Make Yourself Comfortable, This Could Take A While
By Martin Kelly, Editor, Search Engine Room Waiting, waiting, waaaaaaaaiting for something to happen in the Microsoft-Yahoo! brouhaha... You may recall that Microsoft made a $48b offer in early February for Yahoo! which was eventually rejected by the Yahoo! board. Then – nothing. And still nothing. It seems certain that this takeover attempt, so far a “friendly” one, could drag on for an awfully long time, perhaps all year, not a good thing for either company, particularly Yahoo! despite co-founder Jerry Yang describing it as a “galvanising event”. Galvanising for the board perhaps, and Yang personally, but your average Yahoo! staff member would have to be seriously distracted by an uncertain future - the company said 1000 staff would be sacked in its latest results – aligned with never-ending speculation about the validity of the business model they are paid to develop and sell. And the longer nothing happens, the more distracting it will become, the silence of nothing rising to a crescendo – a corporate version of Chinese water torture: drip, drip, drip, drip. Meanwhile, Google has stayed quiet after an initial, bitter attack on Microsoft through a blog post by company legal boss David Drummond which characterises Google (and Yahoo!) as champions of “openness and innovation” while depicting Microsoft as a monopolist with dark intentions. Google clearly wants the world to see it as a fight between Good and Evil. But it isn’t that simple, and any further rhetoric along these lines has potential PR downside in that it could be viewed by some as a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It’s also obvious that, if an alliance eventually happens, Microsoft-Yahoo! will be a much more formidable competitor to Google than an ailing Yahoo! or a stand-alone Microsoft (and as such, is an entity many in the search industry would welcome). Adding further spice, is Google playing the “openness” card, a which may inadvertently revive memories of Google’s actions in China. Sergey Brin admitted in a 2003 interview with Wired that Google gave the Chinese Government “a new mechanism that can block the results of certain searches". Anyway, the post makes interesting reading – here it is: “The openness of the Internet is what made Google -- and Yahoo! -- possible. A good idea that users find useful spreads quickly. Businesses can be created around the idea. Users benefit from constant innovation. It's what makes the Internet such an exciting place. “So Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo! raises troubling questions. This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It's about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation. “Could Microsoft now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC? While the Internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies -- and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets. “Could the acquisition of Yahoo! allow Microsoft -- despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offenses -- to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet? “In addition, Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of instant messaging and web email accounts. And between them, the two companies operate the two most heavily trafficked portals on the Internet. “Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors' email, IM, and web-based services? Policymakers around the world need to ask these questions -- and consumers deserve satisfying answers. “This hostile bid was announced on Friday, so there is plenty of time for these questions to be thoroughly addressed. We take Internet openness, choice and innovation seriously. They are the core of our culture. We believe that the interests of Internet users come first -- and should come first -- as the merits of this proposed acquisition are examined and alternatives explored.” Search Engine Room: February 28, 2008 Latest News
© Copyright 2008, Bluewater Press |
Events
Australia’s original search marketing and optimisation event, Search Engine Room, is returning to Sydney with a fresh theme and approach. Highlights include:
Search Engine Room an Australian-owned event that strives to reflect the market in which it operates while embracing international trends. It’s outward rather than inward looking, taking great care to incorporate consumer and marketing priorities into innovative and provocative programs. The program will be launched the week beginning July 21. Informative, educational, provocative and sometimes controversial, Search Engine Room is the leading event for Australasia's rapidly-growing search industry. It's held annually, attracting widespread industry support, and has a reputation for quality content, excellent event management and staging. The program focus is on respected, well-connected speakers delivering topical, relevant information. Search engine optimisation and marketing is well-covered, while broader industry issues are also addressed through interviews with leading search industry figures. There are case studies and debates, plus panels led by informed journos. Audience interaction is encouraged and Search Engine Room always makes an effort to be forward-looking, tracking the latest search and digital trends. Consumers are also given the once-over, enabling delegates to gain a better understanding of their customers. This format has great appeal and delegates come from around the country. Apart from search marketers, marketing managers, e-commerce managers, online business owners, senior management, digital media executives and agency types predominate. Companies large and small from diverse industries are represented. Some have been in the game for years, others are just starting out. A good way of keeping in touch is to subscribe to Search Engine Room News, which is packed with original content and comes out every five or so weeks. If you have any questions, please call Martin Kelly on 612-9882-1575. Meanwhile, here are some images from the 2007 event.
Bookings are now open for TRAVELtech 2008 - Australia's leading online travel marketing, distribution and tech event. This year's theme is the open-ended Year of Living Dangerously? It can be taken a couple of ways ... the obvious: oil, inflation, interest rates and marketing costs up - challenges ahead. But it's also a question, and the good news is there's increasing evidence the online channel may be the place consumers turn at times like these. Find out more at TRAVELtech 2008. Confirmed speakers are listed below, while the latest program has just been posted - it's packed with industry leaders and topical content.
TRAVELtech, founded in 1999, focusses on the latest online travel marketing and web-based innovations. It has a well-established reputation for delivering relevant, high-quality content and excellent networking - more than 300 delegates attended in 2007. If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to sponsor, please call Martin Kelly on (612) 9882-1575. Please visit the TRAVELtech photo gallery to see some photographs from the 2007 event. |
