Microsoft Issues Statement Regarding Yahoo!

Microsoft on Sunday posted an announcement that it will continue to explore and pursue alternatives to improve & grow their online services and advertising business.
Microsoft is has reached out to Yahoo! With what they consider an alternative that would involve deal with Yahoo. This would not be an acquisition of Yahoo but rather an agreement to incorporate parts of Yahoo into the Microsoft family.

While it is not considering a new bid to acquire all of Yahoo! they are reserving the right to reconsider an alternative which will depend on other future developments and / or discussions that might take place with Yahoo. This could also include discussion with shareholders of Yahoo, Microsoft or with other third parties.

Other third parties would seem to indicate Carl Icahn who has a great amount of money and has begun buying Yahoo shares to try to throw out Yahoos board but who does not have enough money or power to make a serious play by himself.

Joining Ballmer was almost cast in stone!