Computerworld speculates that Microsoft and Yahoo! may be teaming up to compete against Google in the search space.
Citing Microsoft employee Ian McAllister’s recent blog post, it certainly appears that Yahoo! could be an unnamed potential partner as MS and Yahoo! look to slow Google’s rapid expansion and rising market share. ComputerWorld also suggests that the partner, instead of Yahoo!, may be a major Internet Service Provider as the post notes.
I’ll copy Ian’s blog post, as it doesn’t appear to be something that would likely stick around for too long.
“Whoa! A Major Player Looks To Take Google Down A Peg
I had a meeting the other day with some senior players at another Tier 1 internet company. I won’t share the name of the company, but suffice it to say that I’m 99% positive you’re a customer. At the end of the discussion one of the people I was meeting with threw out a blanket offer to brainstorm other ways in which our companies might work together. He then stated that his company was willing to entertain ideas for working with Microsoft that would help our Search and/or advertising business, with one of the goals being to prevent Google from dominating those spaces even more than they are now. He was essentially saying that his company would help Microsoft level the playing field with Google in search and advertising.
I’m not sure if this offer will develop into anything or implying that I’m a person who could capitalize on it, but I do find it extremely interesting that Microsoft is on a different side of this triangle than we would have been 10 years ago.”
Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world’s most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.
You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.
