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Computerworld Gates: Microsoft won't pursue other partnerships
'At this point, Microsoft is focused on its independent strategy,' he says
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May 7, 2008 (IDG News Service) Microsoft Corp. won't be pursuing mergers or acquisitions to replace its failed bid for Yahoo Inc., Bill Gates said in Tokyo today.
Gates, who co-founded the software maker and serves as its chairman, said Microsoft had "put a lot of effort into talking to Yahoo."
Referencing comments made by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Gates said that "now at this point, Microsoft is focused on its independent strategy."
Microsoft spent three months courting Yahoo but dropped its pursuit on Saturday after the two sides failed to reach agreement on a takeover price. Microsoft had initially offered $31 per share for Yahoo and later raised its bid to $33 per share, but the search engine operator held out for $37 per share.
After final negotiations late last week, Ballmer signaled to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang that his company was throwing in the towel.
"We continue to believe that our proposed acquisition made sense for Microsoft, Yahoo and the market as a whole. Our goal in pursuing a combination with Yahoo was to provide greater choice and innovation in the marketplace and create real value for our respective stockholders and employees," said Ballmer in a statement distributed early Saturday evening.
Facing pressure from shareholders, Yang on Monday signaled that Yahoo is still open to an offer from Microsoft or another company as long as the offer does not undervalue Yahoo.
"We've always felt the Yahoo platform has been undervalued or underappreciated by the marketplace,'' he told Bloomberg News.
Gates, who was speaking in Tokyo, also announced two programs from Microsoft Japan. One promotes Windows Media Center and the other will provide Microsoft's software development tools to student developers at no charge.
Reprinted with permission from
IDG.netStory copyright 2008 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
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