Microsoft will not run for Yahoo anymore

It’s been more that 3 months that Microsoft has been running after Yahoo to compete against the king of internet advertising – Google. Before it had offered the bid of $44.6bn but after Yahoo rejected the offer Microsoft raised its offer to $47.5bn (£24.1bn) which is around $33 per share. Still when Yahoo showed no interest of any kind and was asking for a bid not less than $53bn, or $37 a share, Microsoft finally had to let it go. Now it looks like Google will continue its domination in the world of internet advertising for some more years.

Here is the copy of letter from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang.

May 3, 2008

Mr. Jerry Yang
CEO and Chief Yahoo
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Dear Jerry:

After over three months, we have reached the conclusion of the process regarding a possible combination of Microsoft and Yahoo!.

I first want to convey my personal thanks to you, your management team, and Yahoo!’s Board of Directors for your consideration of our proposal. I appreciate the time and attention all of you have given to this matter, and I especially appreciate the time that you have invested personally. I feel that our discussions this week have been particularly useful, providing me for the first time with real clarity on what is and is not possible.

I am disappointed that Yahoo! has not moved towards accepting our offer. I first called you with our offer on January 31 because I believed that a combination of our two companies would have created real value for our respective shareholders and would have provided consumers, publishers, and advertisers with greater innovation and choice in the marketplace. Our decision to offer a 62 percent premium at that time reflected the strength of these convictions.

In our conversations this week, we conveyed our willingness to raise our offer to $33.00 per share, reflecting again our belief in this collective opportunity. This increase would have added approximately another $5 billion of value to your shareholders, compared to the current value of our initial offer. It also would have reflected a premium of over 70 percent compared to the price at which your stock closed on January 31. Yet it has proven insufficient, as your final position insisted on Microsoft paying yet another $5 billion or more, or at least another $4 per share above our $33.00 offer.

Also, after giving this week’s conversations further thought, it is clear to me that it is not sensible for Microsoft to take our offer directly to your shareholders. This approach would necessarily involve a protracted proxy contest and eventually an exchange offer. Our discussions with you have led us to conclude that, in the interim, you would take steps that would make Yahoo! undesirable as an acquisition for Microsoft.

We regard with particular concern your apparent planning to respond to a “hostile” bid by pursuing a new arrangement that would involve or lead to the outsourcing to Google of key paid Internet search terms offered by Yahoo! today. In our view, such an arrangement with the dominant search provider would make an acquisition of Yahoo! undesirable to us for a number of reasons:

• First, it would fundamentally undermine Yahoo!’s own strategy and long-term viability by encouraging advertisers to use Google as opposed to your Panama paid search system. This would also fragment your search advertising and display advertising strategies and the ecosystem surrounding them. This would undermine the reliance on your display advertising business to fuel future growth.
• Given this, it would impair Yahoo’s ability to retain the talented engineers working on advertising systems that are important to our interest in a combination of our companies.
• In addition, it would raise a host of regulatory and legal problems that no acquirer, including Microsoft, would want to inherit. Among other things, this would consolidate market share with the already-dominant paid search provider in a manner that would reduce competition and choice in the marketplace.
• This would also effectively enable Google to set the prices for key search terms on both their and your search platforms and, in the process, raise prices charged to advertisers on Yahoo. In addition to whatever resulting legal problems, this seems unwise from a business perspective unless in fact one simply wishes to use this as a vehicle to exit the paid search business in favor of Google.
• It could foreclose any chance of a combination with any other search provider that is not already relying on Google’s search services.

Accordingly, your apparent plan to pursue such an arrangement in the event of a proxy contest or exchange offer leads me to the firm decision not to pursue such a path. Instead, I hereby formally withdraw Microsoft’s proposal to acquire Yahoo!.

We will move forward and will continue to innovate and grow our business at Microsoft with the talented team we have in place and potentially through strategic transactions with other business partners.

I still believe even today that our offer remains the only alternative put forward that provides your stockholders full and fair value for their shares. By failing to reach an agreement with us, you and your stockholders have left significant value on the table.

But clearly a deal is not to be.

Thank you again for the time we have spent together discussing this.

Sincerely yours,

Steven A. Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation

Drive traffic to your site

Nowadays, everyone’s in a rush to put a website for their company or organization over the internet. And why not, it’s the most popular means or advertisement and also the demand of new technology. People are much used to web-based advertisement and publicity than the traditional ads of newspapers, radio and TV. But just putting up a web site isn’t really the objective of anyone. It’s there for a reason most likely the reason to attract the customer of the specific niche which can be achieved only if the site attracts a huge amount of traffic. Just leaving the website isn’t going to do anything unless you do some marketing again to make your site famous.

There are many ways though to attract traffic/visits to your website. One of the ways is by improving your backlinks. The most popular means of this is through social bookmarking submission. By submitting your site to social bookmarkings like del.icio.us, Furl, Digg, Shoutwire, etc., it will naturally attract backlinks for your web page. Readers who find your site on social bookmarking sites are likely to link to your site from their own blogs & sites which in turn will drive traffic to your site. You can manually submit your site to such bookmarkings but if you don’t have time and expertise for that then there are social bookmark submission services such as by SocialBookmarkSubmission.com which for a certain charge will submit your site to many social bookmarking sites in appropriate category with appropriate keywords. And once you’ve got decent regular traffic, your business isn’t far away to blast.

The popularity of online games

Since the ancient age, games have been one of the popular means of entertainment for people of all age groups and the trend still lives. Still people take games as a mean of entertainment and to cope with boredom. The type of games and the tools though have changed due to many factors like time limit, money, space, etc. giving rise to computer games. There is no need of lot of cash, space, time or even a partner. Even if you are alone you can still play one on one versus the computer. But it’s a little unfair to play against the artificial intelligence; still there are so many multiplayer games that you can have fun with your friends and colleagues.

One problem with big computer games is that they need to be installed in the PC but what if you are at work, or in some other place. You can’t always carry an installation CD with you. So, online games became popular due to this reason. There is no need for any type of installation to be done. They are small flash games and the only thing that you need is an internet connection and a flash enabled web-browser. I too am a big fan of such miniclip games. They are so funny and there are lots of games to choose from. My favorites are the puzzle games and the card games and one of my personal fav site is Online-Games-Zone.com where I usually play online games. I’m sure you’ll like it too so be sure you check it out.

Mig 33

Mobile is my life. I’m sure many people feel the same way I do about mobile phones. I can’t stat quite for a long time. I have to keep on doing something to keep myself busy. Whole time I can’t stay in front of my PC, so during my free time I’m in my mobile either playing games, listening to music or online from mig33.

Mig33 as far as I remember is the first global mobile community that brings the power of internet to your mobile phones. With it you can:

• Make low-cost inexpensive international phone calls
• Chat with your online friends or in chat room
• Send cheap international SMS
• Send emails
• Use your IM (MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ , AOL, Google Talk)
• Participate in mobile profiles
• Photo sharing
• Connect with old friends and even meet new ones

With mig33, you are always connected to the world. Go to wap.mig33.com on your mobile phone's Web browser and download its latest version on your mobile. You can also visit www.mig33.com from your PC’s browser and download or login with the user name and password you have.

An article on administering vBulletin

I have many blogs in which I am using wordpress and blogspot in some. This time I wanted to make a forum, sort of a bulletin board but I was very confused which software to use. I came across this article about “The vBulletin Administrator Experience” experience as I was searching for software to create a forum in my latest domain. The article gave a brief tour of vBulletin from both the end user's perspective and the administrator's point of view.

vBulletin also abbreviated as vB is one of the most popular commercial Internet forum software. It is very powerful and customizable software for creating a web forum. For the starters it’s a headache but the more you use it, more of its features will be revealed to you and you’ll start loving it. After reading this article on vBulletin Administrator, I’m sure many of the features of vBulletin will be discovered and you’ll get a step closer to it. I hope you’ll install vBulletin and work your way through the options that are described out here.

Just putting up a website is not enough

Today the Internet has taken over the world. Everywhere, everything can be and is being done via the internet. The world has really gotten smaller… all thanks to internet. Everything is moving in such a fast pace and to catch up with it there is no better tool than internet.

Anyways, let’s cut the long story short. Nowadays, websites are very common. For most of the business houses and companies, they are more like compulsory rather that just a show off to present their product and service to the world. But just putting up a website over the internet is not enough at all. A website has to be visited by the potential customers and once visited they have to like it to come back and visit again. For this to happen the sites have to be properly Search Engine Optimized (SEOed) or well-marketed over the internet (internet marketing) and the web design has to be cool and eye-catching. The reason for doing SEO is to rank the site well in the search engine so that it is visible to the potential customers because most of the visitors come thru search engines rather that directly unless the sites are Hotmail or Yahoo or Google itself. And once they have been visited, the customers come back again only if they find the site is nice-looking. So, if you got a website, don’t just publish it…make it look good and do some marketing.

Submit your articles are Web articles

People are coming up with so many novel ideas day by day and the technology is just at its peak point. Everyday I hear about new things and new ideas being shaped and the next day they get old. It was just few days ago that I had written about an articles and tutorials submission directory. At that time it was so new to me. In that post I think I did mentioned that I had submitted my blogs to many link submission directories but a directory where you can submit your articles was a very new thing for me. It was the first one that I had ever experienced. Now I kind of see many of such sites where you can submit your articles and if it’s unique they will publish it in their directory.

Web-Articles.info is a similar articles directory. In today’s trend of every site being profit motive, this directory has chosen a different path. Most of the websites today are continually trying to sell some product or service. But this site is not. The main purpose of this articles directory is to be a useful resource of information, providing articles and tutorials about general interest life issues rather that making profit in any way. All the materials that you find on this site are free for general use but one shouldn’t completely rely on the information on these articles without having additional resources as the article needn’t have to be written by some experts.

They have covered many topics and divided them into different categories (Home and family, Computers, Internet, Business, Loans, Medical, Astronomy and so on) so that it’s easy for the visitors to find the information that they really need on some specific subject. I read some if its customer service information, Microsoft Office and MAC related articles and I found them very useful for myself. This is a great service that they are providing for free. I wish them all the best for their future.

Free submission of articles at HowTo

This is quite a new thing for me. I’ve heard about many link submission directories and I’ve submitted my blogs to many directories but article submission directory is something that I’ve not had a chance to see or hear in the past. HowTo.fm is a directory where you can submit your articles and tutorials and if they are unique-content means they haven’t been published elsewhere on the internet, they will be published here.

The question is that how will this benefit anybody? Well, this is a non-profit motive site that has nothing more that Adsense as its source of income for now. Visitors though will get to read about different new topics which have never ever been published over the internet. They have organized different categories: Arts & Entertainment articles, Automotive, Business & Finance articles, Computer & Technology tutorials, Health & Fitness tutorials, Home & Garden advice, News & Society, Reference & Education articles. So, it’s easier for visitors to find exactly what they are looking for from thousands of articles rather then do tedious search.

I too have subscribed to this site but I haven’t totally used this site. I think they also provide free content and tutorials for your page and one can also use their service to make their sites SEO friendly. The latest article that I read was on SSHD server configuration. It was a good useful article. Anyways, overall if the quality continues then this site has a very bright future.

Helping you choose the right ISP

Today’s world is fast changing and technology dominating. One of the chief medium that helps this to occur is internet which in my view should be compulsory in every school, household and places. There are different types of connections that can be used for internet connectivity. Some must be using a dial-up connection but though they come cheap they are very traditional and slow. Recent advancements are on Cable net, DSL and Satellite internet which provides fast connection, browsing, uploading and downloading. But these are not the only choices from which you have to choose from. There are many such internet service providers that are growing like mushrooms in the market all boasting about them being the best in their field. So, it’s a very tiresome job to choose from between them too.

GetISP.info is a site that proves very handy in such case. It provides all the information you need on such internet service providers (DSL, cable, dial-up, wireless, satellite whatever you need). It lists the comparison of different ISP providers and also help up decide which connection is best suited for you with appropriate reasons. The best one that I though was the AT&T Yahoo DSL which costs around $14.99 plus you earn up to $75 (Visa Gift Card) and free extras included like spam protection, firewall software and parental controls. Also this site has got information on certain leading VOIP phone services. You will briefly get to know about their services and their cost. This really is a very helpful site even for those who starters in the world of internet with its tips on speeding up your computer’s performance, protecting yourself from spam and viruses and many more.

Web Conferencing Appliances from RHUB

Web Conferencing has evolved a lot since its preliminary phase. In the past it was just used to describe something like a group discussion in a message board and not a live communication but today it has progressed into live or synchronous meetings where each participant sits at his own computer and is connected to the others via the internet.

“Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings or presentations over the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendee’s computers or a web-based application where the attendees will simply enter a URL (website address) to enter the conference.”- Wikipedia

Web Conferencing has now been a necessity for every business firms as no physical presence is needed for attending a meeting or a presentation. Though you are thousand miles far away, you can still participate without any difficulty. Though it might not be as efficient as a face to face meeting or conference but still its features can’t be under seen. I have researched a lot on this and I want to suggest a name RHUB which is a premier provider of on-premise web conferencing appliances that meet the needs of any organization today. RHUB's on-premise web conferencing appliances are easy to use, affordable, secure, controlled and reliable. Install it over your network and it’s ready to be used. If the attendees just want to view your presentation and don’t want want participate, they don’t even have to download or install anything. As long as they can view Google/Yahoo maps with their browsers from any of the platforms (Windows, Windows Mobile, Mac, Linux, Unix and iPhone), they can hop in and see the presentation. These On-Premise RHUB appliances bundles four applications (four meeting types in TurboMeeting) with it namely web conferencing, remote support, remote access and web seminars and you can assign any combination of the above meeting types to each of your users to comply with your organization security policy. RHUB is a smart choice for your business. So, make the best out of it.

Introductory offer for new Norton 360™ Version 2.0

There is a new introductory offer from Symantec Store one of my favorite stores on the new Norton 360™ Version 2.0. This all New Norton 360™ Version 2.0 provides industry-leading protection for everything computer users care about, including PC security and tune-up, identity protection, and backup and restore - without sacrificing PC performance. The MSRP of this complete automated protection is $79.99 but if you order now you can get is for just $59.99.

Key features of Norton 360™ Version 2.0
o PC security - protects your computer and makes your online experience more secure.
o Identity Protection - safeguards you against online identity theft and fraud.
o Automatic backup and restore - safeguards irreplaceable photos, movies, music, and more.
o PC tune-up - helps your PC run faster and keeps it running the way it's supposed to.

The offer is for limited time being only and will Expire on March 31, 2008. So, order not and get $20 discount.

Pragma Systems: Your Telnet and SSH Solutions Provider

As the technology is taking over the world and everything is becoming more and more internet-based, loads of queries regarding the secure and reliable access, control and management capabilities across its network and computing infrastructure are rising. If you search over the internet, you’ll surely find many companies that where you’ll get answers to all these questions. But though you’ll find all these answers at one place, the reliability and their expertise to a particular domain is still questionable from them. And these security related questions are too sensitive to be taken lightly. You have to hire services/companies that have the expertise and technical knowledge regarding the certain domain to handle them.

So, if you are looking for the most secure, fast, scalable, and reliable solutions for your FTP, telnet and SSH connectivity, Pragma Systems might just be the end to your search. They have dedicated more than 16 years solely focusing in the telnet and SSH only and have achieved the expertise that is needed in this. With many recognitions and awards in its name including PC Week Analyst's Choice and NSTL's best in class rating, Pragma surely is the best option for you if you are looking for your telnet and SSH solutions.

Congratulation to Google

A week ago may be…I had posted a review with a title ‘Microsoft wants to purchase Yahoo’. Well, many people were very hopeful about the offer because the offer that Microsoft had set ($44.6bn) was 62% above Yahoo's closing share price at that time. But may be it isn’t just in Microsoft’s fate to own Yahoo. Yahoo's shares closed on Friday at $29.20 which made it clear that Yahoo was not willing to give it up that easy.

According to Yahoo the offer Microsoft put “substantially undervalues” the company and is not in the shareholders’ best interest.

A source quoted by the Wall Street Journal said that Yahoo's board would be unlikely to consider anything below $40 per share which would be a 109% premium to the $19.18 closing price of Yahoo's shares the day before the original offer was announced.

So …congrats to Google. I still don’t need to fear much from Microsoft and Yahoo both.

Sellers getting angry at EBay’s decision

EBay is a great website where you can buy or sell things online, something like an online shopping mall. I haven’t yet bought or sold a thing there but I frequently visit the site to see if I can get a hold at a good deal for myself. Hopefully, I’ll find something soon. Well, it came to my ears that EBay is planning to overhaul its feedback system to restrict sellers from giving negative comments about the buyers.

EBay also stated that this is all because the negative comments from the sellers are seriously hampering the trade as it’s creating a feeling for getting even amongst the buyers. But in other side, the sellers are getting angry at this decision as this has left them vulnerable and unprotected.

Will Yahoo sell itself to Microsoft?

I have subscribed to in my firefox and today when I checked it I got my today’s scoop. At the top there was may be one of the biggest news of the year with the title “Microsoft wants to purchase Yahoo”. Well, I had been hearing the rumors that both Yahoo and Microsoft have shaken hands to compete against Google but I never knew tat Microsoft was going to purchase Yahoo.

It is stated in the news that Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo for $44.6bn (£22.4bn) in cash and shares. The offer is 62% above Yahoo's closing share price on Thursday and the fact can’t be ignored that Yahoo has been struggling lately due to competition with Google and it would have to spend an additional $300m this year just to revive from its loss.

But still, it’s just an offer and Yahoo is a great site plus search engine. Merging with Microsoft might not be a good deal I guess. Anyways, it’s just an offer. It is still to be evaluated and the most important thing is long-term value for shareholders. Lets see how Yahoo responds.

Opera files antitrust complaint with the EU against IE

Many people may not be aware of the fact that Opera is the only web browser that can put the web on any device (from computers, cell phones, portable media players and even game consoles). Opera Software ASA filed a complaint with the European Commission aimed at giving consumers with an actual choice of Web browsers.

Well, most of the desktops and workstations have Microsoft’s Windows as their OS and we all know this that Windows comes a default browser, Internet Explorer (IE). Now according to Opera people are getting locked-in to IE though there are several other better choices in web browsers. They think that people should be given a genuine choice to choose among the web browsers like other softwares. Microsoft is misusing its power by tying its browser, Internet Explorer, to the Windows operating system. “IE doesn’t meet accepted Web standards.” is what Opera says.

"We are filing this complaint on behalf of all consumers who are tired of having a monopolist make choices for them. In addition to promoting the free choice of individual consumers, we are a champion of open Web standards and cross-platform innovation. We cannot rest until we've brought fair and equitable options to consumers, worldwide.” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera.

Opera requested the Commission to first make Microsoft unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows and/or carry alternative browsers pre-installed on the desktop. 2ndly they also want the commission to get Microsoft to follow fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities.

There was a similar case of Microsoft illegally tying Windows Media Player to Windows in September 07 and Opera wants to bring the focus of the commission to this tie up. They think that such tie-ups have profound effects on consumers and innovation.