Seems that the dance will never end, but there is a real strong possibility this time that Microsoft and Yahoo will finally work out a deal. With the dollars Microsoft is putting behind Bing, it may have been enough to get the attention of Yahoo! execs.
The last sticking point is related to an upfront cash payment Yahoo is seeking. The driving factors driving the deal really boil down to:
- Microsoft has more money to develop better tools and doesn't really want to be in the ad business
- Yahoo is more into the idea of being in the ad sales business and just doesn't have the money to compete from a technology standpoint
The last open question for advertisers will be whether Yahoo's Panama or Microsoft's AdCenter will be the platform for buying ads. Hopefully, it ends up being only one and from our standpoint, AdCenter would be the better path. The reality is that Microsoft has the money to continue to evolve these tools in a way that Yahoo hasn't. Overall, this could be a good thing in terms of staying competitive with Google and offering a good solution.
Full article in AdAge