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Monday, April 7, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I personally have been part of a merger/acquisition scenario more times than I care to contemplate. It’s like a flu. You feel it coming on. Then you either get it or you don’t. Unfortunately, much of the time once you get that first tickle in the back of your organizational throat, it’s already too late. You’re going down. First the headache. Then the fever. Then you’re flat on your back for a long, long time, with the possibility, unless you get some appropriate treatment, that you may die. This is particularly true of very young and very old people, just like in a merger scenario where the lowest and highest monkeys on the corporate tree are the most likely to be expunged by either friendly or unfriendly fire. While you are falling into this particular viral swoon, you’re not at your best, because your mind is taken up with a myriad of nightmares and obsessive thoughts that have nothing to do with the price of digital bananas. Herewith, two brief lists: What People At Yahoo Are Thinking About 1. The price of their stock as it relates to the value of their enterprise; What People At Yahoo Are NOT Thinking About (At Least As Much As They Probably Should) 1. How to maximize opportunities in a tough advertising market; In short, I feel for them and you should too, just the way our hearts go out to all the good people at Bear Stearns (BSC) who must now ask JP Morgan 9JPM) dudes for permission every time they want to visit the restroom. There but for the grace of God, you know. And soon, too, I think. It’s been a little too quiet for a while now, and anybody who’s been around for a while knows exactly what that kind of quiescence means. It disgusts me that MS feels they have to own everything. Yahoo has been my portal for six yearws. I will move if MS buys it. A matter of principle against MS greed. Posted By Robin, Redding, CA : April 7, 2008 1:30 pm
MICROSOFT SHOULD RAISE THEIR BID TO OVER 40 SO THEY KEEP ALLIBBA AND STOP THE THREATS AND ALSO INCLUDE SOFTBANK WHICH OWNS THE MAJORITY STAKE IN YAHOO JAPAN AND ALLIBBA TO THE TABLE WITH YAHOO USA AND RESPECT THE CULTURE DIFFERENCES THAT ARE PRESENT HERE. THIS IS WHY MICROSOFT HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH ANTI TRUST ISSUES AND THE DISLIKE AND THE PROBLEMS OTHER COMPANIES HAVE TRUSTING THEM. YOU COULD HAVE ONE BIG GIANT COMPANY HERE AND THE FIRST COMPANY THAT COULD BE THE BIGGEST THREAT TO GOOGLES MARKET SHARE IT HAS EVER HAD SINCE THEY BEAME A MONOPOLY. THIS COULD BE SEEN IN GOOGLES SHARE PRICE WHICH HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF SINCE MICROSOFT MADE ITS BID FOR YAHOO. COME ON GUYS JUST SIT DOWN, LEAVE YOUR EGOS HOME AND HONOR YOUR SHAREHOLDERS INVESTMENTS WHICH BY LAW YOU MUST DO. MR. BALMER YAHOO JUST RESPONDED AGAIN IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES RAISE YOUR BID WHICH I THINK WILL KEEP ALLIBBA PART OF THE TEAM WHICHWE CAN ALL SEE IS A MAJOR ASSET BECAUSE THEY BEAT LAST YEARS EARNINGS BY 4 TIMES AND SOFTBANK HAD A GREAT YEAR TOO AND BOTH GAVE OUTSTANDING FORWARD LOOKING OUTLOOKS. ALSO CLOSE THE DEAL NOW BEAUSE YAHOO USA HAS ALREADY GIVEN A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE SEC THAT THEIR EARNINGS WILL BE IN LINE AND THEY ALSO EXPECT THEIR CASH FLOW IN THE BILLIONS WILL TRIPLE BY EARLY 2010. JUST MEET YAHOO HALF WAY BUT IT WOULD BE SMARTER TO MEET THEIR 40 DOLLAR RESPONSE SO YOU DONT LOSE ALLIBBA TO GOOGLE OR MOST LIKELY BIADU AND FROM LOSING VALUABLE EMPLOYEES IN BOTH MICROSOFT AND YAHOO AND SURGE FURTHER HIGHER UP THE LADDER TO SUCCESS. Posted By JOHN WEST BABYLON, NY : April 7, 2008 1:38 pm
The people at Microsoft have more money than brains. For 42 billion dollars I could get half of China to reinvent the internet. Bottom line Yahoo is only worth what you want to pay for it and how many other customers are trying to buy this dud. Posted By Jack Hammond Canada : April 7, 2008 1:50 pm
Not sure how many of you actually worked on DOS. I am not talking about DOS via Windows 3.1 and 3.11 etc, but command driven DOS. Where if you wanted to double click on a folder it was a long string of cd xxx/xxx/xxx that you would have to type out. We should not be slamming Microsoft. A lot of what they have done has made our lives tremendously easier. I am sure you all use Windows/Word/Excel/Outlook on a regular basis. Despite the sometimes less than spectacular releases they have they continue to be a driving force behind making our lives easier. I for one welcome all that Microsoft does. For the sheer size of the company and the complexity of their programs, I can suffer through a few inconveniences. Also, there does need to be an alternative to compete with google otherwise they will dominate the internet. Microsoft is in the best position to be able to provide a competitive drive against Google that will help us as consumers benefit with more new features and ideas. I support this acquistion knowing that it will be the consumer that benefits as well as Microsoft. Posted By Jason L., Philadelphia PA : April 7, 2008 4:25 pm
To John in New York Do you know how friggin’ hard it is to read text in all caps — especially in a column like this? Actually, all caps in any text format is a hard read. Posted By Barbara, Visalia, CA : April 7, 2008 6:16 pm
“In short, I feel for them and you should too, just the way our hearts go out to all the good people at Bear Stearns (BSC) who must now ask JP Morgan 9JPM) dudes for permission every time they want to visit the restroom.” That is lame. My heart goes out to no one in the world of business. Companies are supposed to conquer and destroy other companies. It is all a part of the game. I have no feelings toward either company. If Microsoft got bought out by another company, that would be good for the world of business. It makes no difference who goes under or falls victim. The game is to be won by the fiercest, richest, and most aggressive company. Shareholders should only be interested in getting as much money as possible for their investment. they need to stop crying and grab the cash and run. Non-shareholders should stay on the sidelines and marvel at the game in awe. Employees at Yahoo need to start finding other places to work. They should not be staying for superficial reasons like loyalty to the company, love of the job, love of fellow co-workers, and commitment to the well-being of others. The ship has holes in it that may or may not be patched up. There is no need to wait until the ship is 90% submerged to jump onto a life boat. Posted By Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX : April 7, 2008 6:32 pm
. if Microsoft buys Yahoo the battle doesn’t end now since “Microhoo” must COMPETE with Google to win… and (in the long term) Microsoft can LOSE (both) the battle against Google AND its $44+ billion so, since it seems that Microsoft is going to start an HOSTILE action to buy Yahoo, then… WHY don’t Microsoft start the same hostile action, but… to buy GOOGLE ??? Microsoft has LOTS of money, and, if it will try to buy Google, I’m sure, it can find several partners in this effort… 1st, Apple and, if Microsoft will succeed to buy Google, the Microsoft vs. Google battle will END NOW …and FOREVER !!! the only question is: “how much money should Microsoft spend to buy Google?” since THIS is the only LOGICAL choice for Microsoft, I’ve also a suspect… probably they ALREADY want to buy Google… so, the only goal of the Yahoo bid is to “DISTRACT THE MARKET” from the REAL TARGET… also, it “helps” the Google price to go DOWN before the Stock “assault”… how do you think about? —————————— . Posted By Gaetano Marano – Italy : April 7, 2008 7:55 pm
About Yadgyu: I think it’s incredibly refreshing to encounter a mind that exists in the precise negative space created by whatever positive energy is in yours. Posted By Bing : April 7, 2008 7:57 pm
What signifies value in yahoo? There is no land, buildings, production property etc.. Do they convert raw materials to consumables? Are they a cyber configuration of information only? Is Yahoo an after bubble of the tech bubble of 2001? What are the tangibles? Information companies come and go like a spark in the dark. What is the urgency of the transaction at hand? Informatiom is like an appraisal–good for only the date it is intended. Black Monday, 1987, happened because of program trading. I read articles at that time that the market is no place for the small invester to be. Did people listen? No! Life is simple today: print more money when you need it and and more techies to spend it on. Posted By Bob Shelby Twp. Mi. : April 8, 2008 8:20 am
Guido, MS won’t even think about making a run at Google because (1) Google would be too expensive, (2) most of Google’s search engines run on some brand of -ix, not Windows and (3) the SEC — even a Republican dominated one — would squash any such attempt as anti-competitive. The fact that the SEC hasn’t weighed in on this yet speaks volumes about the relationship between MS’ business and Yahoo’s. If Yahoo or MicroHoo posed a threat to Google, the SEC (or the Democratic controlled congress) would be all over it, like vultures on carrion. Posted By Ivan, Washington, DC : April 9, 2008 5:18 pm
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Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing is a Fortune columnist and best-selling author of business books noted for their wisdom as well as their sharp, slightly acrid sense of humor. He is also the only writer on business and the workplace who still puts on a suit and tie and goes to do battle with the dragons that breathe fire at corporate America every day. This blog captures what remains of his brain after it has exploded in all other directions.
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Can you trust Microsoft who destroyed so many good companies before? This time they simply want to buy cheap on Yahoo’s weakness.
Go back to your Redmond home. Nobody in Silicon valley likes Mr.Soft.