Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Tells Employees: Yahoo Announcement In "Very Short Order"

Steve Ballmer held a Town Hall conference call with Microsoft (MSFT) employees today--reported minute-by-minute by our Vas Sridharan.

Not surprisingly, the topic employees most wanted to talk about was Yahoo. Specifically, why on earth is Microsoft chasing that thing?

Steve's full answer paraphrased below. Here are the key points:

* Nothing to announce today, but should know in "very short order" [suggests negotiations ongoing]
* Won't pay a dime more than Yahoo's worth [but doesn't say what that number is]
* Acknowledges Microsoft is way behind online, invokes Microsoft's previous come-from-behind victories.
* Says Yahoo is "part of a strategy," not the strategy itself. [that's one way to spin it]
* Says the world rooting for Microsoft [in this business, actually true. Fun and ironic]

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[mickyx65it]

Let the monopoly eat a hand grenade.

[Leper]

The picture shows Steve Ballmer describing how Microsoft will unhinge its jaw just before devouring Yahoo.

That's okay, I've always thought of Yahoo as a kind of rodent.

[clintfatigue]

Is it some kind of sport to post the most unflattering pictures of Steve Ballmer? I have seen nothing but hilariously bad shots of him lately.

[Leper]

If the picture were in black and white only, it would look like an outtake from "Young Frankenstein."

[clintfatigue]

Microsoft.....Goooooood!

[clintfatigue]

LOL!

[Rule Of Law]

What Mr. Ballmer is really saying in that picture is--See this? This is what will be left of Yahoo after we devour and digest it!

[HeresJohnny]

Normally, I wouldn't believe anything Ballmer says, but he's actually telling the truth here. The strategy is to buy their way into online ad sales and compete with Google. Yahoo may not be enough by itself to do that, but MS is dead in the water without it.