27 March 2008
When Microsoft and Yahoo were going through the initial phase of bid and rejection, there was plenty of chatter and posturing from both sides.
Since the first round the fight has largely died down, does that mean the two companies are finally sitting around the same boardroom table?
Now it could be that the two companies have nothing to say because each is waiting for the other. But even that would be something to talk about.
There have been plenty of reporters and analysts arguing that Microsoft and Yahoo should just get on with it, the logic being that Yahoo doesn't really have any better offers and Microsoft can afford an extra billion or two, if necessary, to get a deal done.
At the same time, there are some factors that have set the stage for this slow-motion stage fight. One is that Microsoft, while definitely interested in Yahoo, does not appear interested in bidding against itself.
And as those in the Microsoft camp point out, every dollar a share Microsoft were to add to its offer translates to well over a billion dollars.
Yahoo, meanwhile, lifted the only pressing time limit when it delayed the deadline for nominating directors.
Here's the rub though: Microsoft says it's buying Yahoo to compete with Google. Every day that goes by is a day where Google is continuing to kick both company's online offering in to touch and the two companies are left to pursue their separate strategies.
The question is how much Microsoft values that time. The answer depends on just what kind of silence we are hearing.
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