Microsoft has made a 44.6 billion dollar bid to take over struggling
Yahoo. That is certainly big news...and it has everyone scrambling to
figure out whether this is a good thing or no. Certainly, Yahoo
investor can expect to see at least a tem****ary shot in the arm to
their stock-holdings.
In his internal memo to Microsoft employees, CEO Steve Ballmer wrote:
By combining the strengths of our companies, we can deliver an
efficient and highly competitive offering for our customers. Our
complementary assets will give us increased talent and scale to
compete in the markets of search and online advertising, and pioneer
new innovations in the areas of video, mobile services, online
commerce, and social media."
That is all well and good. Microsoft certainly hasn't been seen in
such glowing terms of late. But I, for one, am always sad to see a
major chunk of any industry too much controlled by a handful of big
dogs. We have seen what a lack of competition has brought us in the
oil industry, cable TV provision, and utility services. We should hope
the Antitrust issues will be carefully scrutinized before this hostile
takeover bid is rubber stamped.
A hallmark of American industry has always been fierce and fair
competition on the open market. Whenever it has ceased to exist in any
quarter, the consumer is inevitably the loser.
Good, bad, or indifferent...it sure makes things interesting here in the
cyber-world, doesn't it?
That's the Word on the Information Super Highway.
Veracity Jones
http://www.basherbusters.co.uk
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