Apple among those considering rival bid for Yahoo?
Global giants including Apple Inc. and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. are considering rival bids for the internet search icon Yahoo, which has received a $44.6 billion offer from Microsoft, the Scotsman is reporting.
Though the report cites no sources, it points to a statement on Yahoo's website that says that company will seek acquisition proposals from other companies, evaluate all of its strategic alternatives, and then "pursue the option that it believes can best maximise value for our shareholders."
In addition to Apple and News Corp., several other firms are reported to be unwilling to allow Microsoft to gobble up Yahoo without a fight, including American media conglomerate InterActiveCorp and leading Chinese search firms such as Alibaba.com.
"Yahoo chief executive and co-founder Jerry Yang is understood not to be Microsoft's greatest fan, and would be prepared to line up another 'white knight' rather than concede to Ballmer," the Scotsman wrote in its report. "It is believed he would be particularly open to a rescue bid from Steve Jobs' Apple Corp, having openly expressed his admiration for the firm in the past."
In an effort to help boost sagging moral at the once thriving internet search company, Yang this past October called upon Jobs to deliver a motivational speech at a company meeting consisting of approximately 300 of Yahoo's top brass.
The message delivered by Jobs was that Yahoo -- a company with one of the largest Internet user bases -- can do and achieve anything. Like Apple, he said, Yahoo retains some incredibly valuable assets, but now needs to focus on execution.
Though the report cites no sources, it points to a statement on Yahoo's website that says that company will seek acquisition proposals from other companies, evaluate all of its strategic alternatives, and then "pursue the option that it believes can best maximise value for our shareholders."
In addition to Apple and News Corp., several other firms are reported to be unwilling to allow Microsoft to gobble up Yahoo without a fight, including American media conglomerate InterActiveCorp and leading Chinese search firms such as Alibaba.com.
"Yahoo chief executive and co-founder Jerry Yang is understood not to be Microsoft's greatest fan, and would be prepared to line up another 'white knight' rather than concede to Ballmer," the Scotsman wrote in its report. "It is believed he would be particularly open to a rescue bid from Steve Jobs' Apple Corp, having openly expressed his admiration for the firm in the past."
In an effort to help boost sagging moral at the once thriving internet search company, Yang this past October called upon Jobs to deliver a motivational speech at a company meeting consisting of approximately 300 of Yahoo's top brass.
The message delivered by Jobs was that Yahoo -- a company with one of the largest Internet user bases -- can do and achieve anything. Like Apple, he said, Yahoo retains some incredibly valuable assets, but now needs to focus on execution.
Comments
Apple would clean up the myriad of Yahoo tools and provide some direction to the companies many offerings.
.Mac would become a premium service at $149 a year and Apple would basically turn Yahoo into .Mac on steroids ...but for free for most services.
Could Apple legally invest into Yahoo before putting in an offer that would make MS counteroffer, thereby increasing Apple's financial holdings as Yahoo stock would skyrocket again and drain MS of more money if the deal goes through? Well, they can at least do one of the two legally.
Hopefully this would just be a ploy to make MS pay even more.
The MS bid is not about any product or technology... its about eyeballs, pure and simple.
But for the most entertaining look at the bid, check out...
http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/0...-of-ideas.html
Fake Steve's finally back on track.
Personally, I like Yahoo and wouldn't want to seem them consumed by MSFT, but I think the resulting indigestion would be great fun to watch and a big win for Apple. I would like to see MSFT get bled for another 10-15 billion on this purchase if possible though.
However, I'd love to see some bidding force Microsoft to pay a few (10?) billion more, thus causing even more of a mess for Microsoft to find ways to justify this buyout.
Yahoo! is a "fixer upper" project I think. Probably has lots of great assets but probably lacks real focus. This is a perfect fit for Microsoft (sarcasm fully intended). This will keep Microsoft distracted for years trying to figure out a way to properly ruining the things that are good about Yahoo!
It would be a real challenge for Steve and his team to see how well they can shape up such a large organization (in a very different business) by Steve's sheer force of will. I suppose if anyone could do it, he can (making this a slightly smaller mistake for Apple). But it would scare me.
Apple's best strategic acquisition would be Adobe to get control of a bunch of decent software assets (including media content formats and technologies widely used on the Internet). Then partner closely with Google for the "cloud computing" side of things. Maybe even sell off .Mac to Google and much greater (and cooler) integration of Google with Leopard, Safari, iPhone, iPod touch, etc.
I think that's where I'd go if I were Apple.
The MS bid is not about any product or technology... its about eyeballs, pure and simple.
You really don't think eyeballs are a product? What do you think NBC, FOX, ABC etc... are selling to advertisers?
Wait! You didn't think you were their customer did you?
You really don't think eyeballs are a product? What do you think NBC, FOX, ABC etc... are selling to advertisers?
Wait! You didn't think you were their customer did you?
Eyeballs aren't the product because they aren't providing them in any way. Eyeballs would be the customers in your example.
Eyeballs aren't the product because they aren't providing them in any way. Eyeballs would be the customers in your example.
Content providers are supplying the consumers[eyeballs] by producing the content to draw consumers to the site/channel/radio station. The consumers[eyeballs] can not be the customers because they are not making a purchase.
You really don't think eyeballs are a product? What do you think NBC, FOX, ABC etc... are selling to advertisers?
Of course. Just point out that its not Yahoo's technologies that MS wants.
They are providing the eyeballs by producing the content to draw them to the site/channel/radio station. The eyeballs can not be the customers because they do not making a purchase.
Wow! Simply, wow!
Apple rarely makes large purchases but if they really want to play with the big boys they have to get in front of a lot of people.
Do I really think Apple is going to spend Billions. No. The fiscally conservative Apple will likely just bluff and let Yahoo slide on by.
However the nice thing would be if they did purchase Yahoo and over the course of the next 5 years turned the site into a great repository of information and social connection (iChat would now support Jabbar, AOL, Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk!).
Google, currently a close ally. I can't see it happening.
Wow! Simply, wow!
Sounds like somebody just got their eyeballs opened.
1. yhoo is seems to have a cult following in China, due to its founder/CEO. China is a market that aapl is looking to get a foothold in. The deal could give aapl some "halo" effect while they try to bring in the iphone and open shops.
2. A number of yhoo holdings seem to be particularly mac centric. If msft got a hold of these properties, they would either kill them off or try to convert them to some lame windows live garbage. I think aapl would be adverse to letting this happen.
If they don't go for the whole thing, I think they would try to make msft divest themselves from the properties in #2 on anti-trust grounds.
Sounds like somebody just got their eyeballs opened.
Either that or maybe my convoluted post? It has been edited for clarity.
Buying Yahoo would put AAPL in more direct competition with
Google, currently a close ally. I can't see it happening.
Google developing Android put them in direct competition with Apple. Business is Business..Apple will partner with Google where it sees fit and compete where they must.
I'd say that Apple could stratify a Yahoo purchase more cleanly by breaking Yahoo into functional BU and then sell off what they don't need (Advertising etc)