Monday, June 2, 2008

'We are listening to Microsoft', says Yahoo boss

via guardian.co.uk Technology by Reuters on 5/29/08

Yahoo chief executive Jerry Yang said on Wednesday that a potential merger with Microsoft has a "tremendous amount of power" but that valuation and issues beyond price have so far derailed a deal.

Speaking at the D: All Things Digital conference of high-tech industry leaders, Yang publicly detailed his thinking about potential deals with Microsoft and rival Google.

The Yahoo co-founder declined to comment on the status of current discussions with Microsoft, saying only "Microsoft has a lot of interest in buying the company, and we are listening."

Earlier this month, Microsoft walked away from a proposal to acquire Yahoo for $47.5bn (£24.09bn), or $33 per share, after Yahoo rebuffed its offer, saying it would only settle for $37 a share.

In an interview with technology reviewer Walt Mossberg, Yang said a merger with Microsoft would involve a variety of issues beyond price and discussions had never thoroughly explored such non-price hurdles, including regulatory issues.

Yahoo president Susan Decker, appearing alongside Yang on stage, said that price had always been the biggest barrier to reaching agreement on a deal with Microsoft



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