Microsoft Pri0
Welcome to Microsoft Pri0: That's Microspeak for top priority, and that's the news and observations you'll find here from Seattle Times reporter Sharon Chan.
SubscribeMarch 6, 2008 11:06 AM
Microsoft-Yahoo bid rumors; Ballmer joins Sonics full-court press; iPhone works with Exchange
Posted by Benjamin J. Romano
The New York Post chimed in this morning on Yahoo's move to postpone the deadline for nominating candidates for its board of directors -- seen as an effort to stave off Microsoft's acquisition. The Post's unnamed sources expect this to push Microsoft to take a more aggressive strategy.
"'[Microsoft CEO Steve] Ballmer is just one of many highly emotional people involved in this,'' said a source who has spoken with executives at both companies. ''Microsoft has been trying to avoid going completely hostile, but now it is going to get completely hostile.'"
More substantive details in the story, again from unnamed sources: Microsoft has readied a slate of Yahoo director candidates and could submit it as soon as next week. It is considering changing its bid to all cash. The value of the current bid, which is half stock and half cash, changes with Microsoft's stock price, and is down from $44.6 billion when it was announced to $41.5 billion, as of Wednesday's closing price.
In other Steve Ballmer news, we're reporting today that he is part of the group of Seattle businessmen trying to keep the Sonics in Seattle. Remember that Microsoft HR boss Lisa Brummel is part of the team buying the storm. (When that news was announced, I wondered whether she would help get Ballmer to jump in on the Sonics and speculated that Microsoft might end up with naming rights for an arena.)
Ballmer goes on stage this afternoon at Mix in Las Vegas. I doubt the Sonics will come up in his Q&A with Guy Kawasaki, but Yahoo might. I'm not expecting him to say anything substantially different from what he said earlier this week. Check back here for details.
Interesting news out of Apple's iPhone SDK event this morning: The iPhone will work with Exchange, Microsoft's server software for running and synchronizing corporate email, calendar and contacts. Mary Jo Foley saw this coming last summer, reporting that Apple had licensed Exchange ActiveSync, the technology needed to hook up mobile devices with Exchange. The move should make the iPhone more appealing to business users. At the same time, you'll recall, Microsoft is trying to make its mobile offerings more appealing to consumers with the acquisition of Danger and the creation of a new Premium Mobile Experiences team.
Digg
Newsvine
UPDATE - 6:30 AM
Recently listed
Popular searches
Open Houses
|
Find all open houses.
|
(The Associated Press) Fuel rules get support A Consumer Federation of America survey conducted in April found that a large majority of Americans R...
Post a comment
- Sex-with-animals advocate told to stay off Internet
- Seattle’s NBA hopes still high as league warms to expansion
- China’s wealthy paying cash for Eastside luxury homes
- Dark, massive asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31
- Seahawks' Bruce Irvin suspended for four games
- Man survives bear attack after wife cracks it on head
- Review: Despite sleek design, HTC One disappoints
- 2 more join Seattle mayor’s race; other high-profile battles scarce
- ‘I came back. He didn’t’: 38 years later, closure for a Marine
- Burgess bows out of mayor’s race
- House committee to grill ousted IRS chief
316 - Game thread: Can 'Safeco Joe' expand his Mariners contribution? 285
- Another new Husky? Blakley gives commitment to UW 142
- Mariners run gamut of emotions in this latest walkoff loss 75
- Seattle’s NBA hopes still high as league warms to expansion 72
- Background checks are a reasonable way to curb gun violence 64
- Editorial: Wake up the IRS watchdogs 36
- China’s wealthy paying cash for Eastside luxury homes 30
- Sacramento Kings sale celebrated by city 30
- IRS office was perplexed, inundated with tax-exempt applications 28
- China’s wealthy paying cash for Eastside luxury homes
- Sex-with-animals advocate told to stay off Internet
- Marine, dog partner reunited in surprise ceremony
- 5 favorite day trips
- Columbia Hills State Park is a Gorge wonder
- Garden lovers: Heronswood open house is May 18 | Ciscoe Morris
- A short train with a lot of heritage | Picture This
- LGBT students get $600,000 in scholarships from 2 groups
- Diversity means opportunity in Tukwila
- Federal Way girl rewarded for dodging dangerous stranger
May
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |