As has been widely reported, Microsoft finally threw in the towel on the acquisition of Yahoo. The terms Yahoo wanted could not be met, and that is probably good for everyone but Microsoft.

It was a matter of money, with the amount offered not coming up to the inflated price all the talking up of the proposed buyout made. Though undisclosed, someone at Microsoft must have come to their senses, realizing that the company was never worth the price asked, or possibly the cooler heads thought that the efforts to bring Yahoo into the Microsoft fold could be better utilized on Microsoft projects - like operating systems, productivity suites, and perhaps MSN.

This is what doesn’t quite make sense - if Microsoft wishes to improve its search software, great… if they want to pour 44 billion dollars into MSN, so much the better. Why doesn’t the staff see that by fixing what is already established, they can make something better than Yahoo, and do it while not causing the average consumer to think that the only way Microsoft ever advances is by purchasing something. It would be a perfect way to build respect for the company, while giving the employees who seem to not want to improve existing software something to do.

MSN is a portal that, for many, is a viable alternative to Yahoo, or AOL, which is another suspected target of Microsoft buyout attempts. But by making the MSN site more attractive, and coupling that with better search algorithms, Microsoft could really gain - in both profit and mindshare.

So how about it Microsoft, are you afraid to try?

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Quote of the day:
People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust. - E. B. White

Tags: microsoft, yahoo, aol, acquisitions, search algorithms, msn