Google, Others May Come to Yahoo's RescueGoogle, Others May Come to Yahoo's Rescue

Sources claim that Google has offered to ride to Yahoo's assistance in rebuffing Microsoft's takeover bid.Outright acquisition of Yahoo by Google is almost certainly off the table because of antitrust concerns. But according to sources, Yahoo and Google held talks several months ago on some kind of alliance, most likely based on Yahoo outsourcing its search advertising. Yahoo investors have urged Yahoo to abandon its own system and use ads from Google instead. Reports are that the two companies could not agree on how the revenue would be split, but both now have a strong incentive to reopen the discussion.

Other technology and media companies, such as AT&T, News Corp., and Time Warner have been reported to have approached Yahoo since Friday. No serious bids are supposed to have resulted, though.

There is also speculation that Yahoo, by encouraging alternative bidders, is simply trying to get Microsoft to up its bid. Some analysts believe that Yahoo is worth a good deal more than the $31/share Microsoft is offering, if only because of shares Yahoo holds in other publicly traded companies.Wall Street Journal, Reuters