Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development

    Yahoo’s Yang Rallies His Troops

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    May 5, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      One day after Microsoft left its bid for Yahoo on the table, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang praised his employees’ spirit in the face of adversity and highlighted Yahoo’s first-quarter achievements in a blog post May 4.

      Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who for the last few months was confident he would strike a deal for the No. 2 search provider, quit his company’s pursuit of Yahoo late May 3, citing in particular Yahoo’s potential agreement with Google to run Google paid search links on its own search pages.

      /images/stories/videobug4.gifClick Here to Watch the Latest eWEEK Newsbreak Video.

      Yang cited the acquisition of video ad platform Maven Networks, the launch of OneSearch 2.0 voice-activated mobile search, video on Flickr, a preview of the company’s next-generation ad platform AMP and its SearchMonkey universal search platform as evidence the company is well-positioned for growth.

      These developments “reinforced our board’s position that Microsoft’s offer undervalued our unique global franchise,” Yang wrote.

      He also wrote about what’s next, using the familiar buzzwords he has become to be known for when discussing the future of Yahoo: “personal, relevant, open and social.”

      Yang is referring to the company’s ambitious, far-reaching effort to break down the walls between the company’s 500 million-plus users of Web mail, instant messaging and applications.

      This YOS (Yahoo Open Strategy), announced by Yahoo Chief Technology Officer Ari Balogh at Web 2.0 April 24, is an effort to leverage the OpenSocial APIs to make Yahoo the definitive social network at a time when Facebook, MySpace and other platforms have successfully opened up their platforms to third-party development.

      Yang said he is confident that this effort will serve “advertisers so well they insist on working with us, and opening up Yahoo in a way that developers dream of.”

      Yang also criticized the media and blogosphere, noting, “There’s a lot of nonsense and misinformation in what’s being reported,” though he declined to say what was incorrect. He did say the board took the Microsoft deal seriously and that the company would have agreed to a deal only if Microsoft recognized Yahoo’s value.

      Yahoo was said to have asked for $37 per share, while Ballmer offered $33 per share in the final negotiations.

      Yang, in an apparent allusion to the reports that said Yahoo executives were high-fiving each other after Microsoft walked away, as well as to references that the result was a personal victory for Yang, stressed that “no one is celebrating about the outcome of these past three months … and no one should. We live and work in a competitive world, and the Web is only going to get more competitive.”

      But the media and blogosphere won’t see this as any other way. That is, of course, unless Yahoo’s stock takes a nosedive and shareholders begin alleging, which some already have, that Yang and Co. did not act in the best interest of shareholders.

      “We know the spotlight will probably stay on us for a while,” Yang wrote. “That’s fine-we have a clear path ahead and momentum to build on. And thousands of dedicated Yahoos around the world who have held up well to scrutiny. It’s now up to us to show what we Yahoos can really do.”

      Of that, there can be no doubt.

      The other question is: What will Microsoft do to compete with Google in the search and online advertising market? Will it make another run for Yahoo, strike a deal with another search provider such as AOL, or try to grow organically?

      Clint Boulton
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×