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Yahoo and Apple Merger?

posted on February 11, 2008


I’m not a financial analyst–so forgive my ignorance here–but why isn’t anyone talking about a merger between Apple and Yahoo?

I know that we’re all fixated on how Microsoft’s purchase of Yahoo might help them make a dent in Google’s search engine market share, but there are other reasons why MSFT is interested–and those same reasons apply to Apple.

Just about all of our normal computer activities are moving to web-based applications. Email, document creation, hard drive storage–heck even our operating system. Suggestions are made that Microsoft should be concerned that Google will make a Windows operating system obsolete, but what about Mac OS X?

OK, so Apple’s not really interested in being in the search business, but with its increased share of personal computer ownership, aspirations of dominating mobile web users, and its continued development of Safari, surely it would benefit from Yahoo’s web apps, rich content portals, and mobile audience?

Apple could farm-out the search responsibilities to its buddy Google, and use Yahoo as a way to protect itself embrace the shift to a world where everything we do on our computer is within a web browser–not the operating system.

OK, have at it. Ridiculous suggestion? Some merit? Genius?


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  • http://www.goodnightmoonfuton.com Futon-Matt

    Thats an interesting idea. I’ve never though about that before.

  • http://mdoeff.com/blog Mike Doeff

    I’ve always thought that Apple should partner with content providers. A Yahoo/Apple merger would result in a more limited content offering in devices such as the iPhone – e.g. the mapping application would probably change from Google to Yahoo!. The two companies that I think Apple should acquire are TiVo and Sonos.

  • http://www.favbrowser.com Favorite Browser

    Yeah… Yahoo should merge with web site and/or company, mine as well.

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  • http://www.gooruze.com Jackie Shervington

    Now that shows some lateral thinking! I like

  • http://www.positionmakers.com messels

    honestly?
    short answer: i think it’s a horrible idea. it’s as bad as the msft+yhoo deal imho.

    wee-bit longer answer: there’s no value in the deal for shareholders. aapl would get mired in yhoo’s mismanagement. aapl is in the midst of its best growth period it’s ever had and slowing that down with dead-weight yahoo! would be a very, very bad thing. (because, instead of focusing on innovations within the aapl-realm of competency, resources would be directed to fixing the problems with yahoo!).

    besides, what leads you to think that appl isn’t already working on ways of getting a piece of the “cloud computing” market? it’s a very ‘young’ market, so aapl has time to develop a strategy to compete with goog and maybe even do so under the radar.

    sorry, i just think it’s a bad deal for shareholders all around. cheers!

  • http://www.marketingpilgrim.com Andy Beal

    @messels – thanks for your thoughts

  • http://www.winningponies.com/ Jason

    Please God, make this happen! I would love to see it go through.

  • http://bushidoblog.com.ar Zen

    What about a Google and Apple merger?

  • http://www.marketingpilgrim.com Andy Beal

    @Zen – that might be too much of a power struggle between management.

  • http://www.thevanblog.com Steven Bradley

    Andy I’ve been wondering if Apple will get involved too. I saw them mentioned right away after Microsoft made their initial offer.

    Seems like it might make for an interesting mix.

  • http://www.seofaststart.com/ Dan Thies

    Andy, I’ve been asking the same question.

    No matter who Yahoo gets in bed with, it’s going to be a bit strange. Apple has a relationship with Google, Yahoo has a relationship with AT&T, Apple has a relationship with AT&T…

    But Apple & Yahoo actually makes sense, and would create something more than a mashup of incompatible business models & technologies.

  • asturneresquire

    Apple’s market cap could easily accomodate absorbing a Yahoo! bid … :)

    why the hell not …

  • wright~

    I THought about that…

    I THINK SOME——————–Day… APPLE interests in YAH0oooooooooooooooo ! but NOW… Apple couldn’t too(?)…. cause MS failed…

  • http://www.monmonja.com monmonja

    Its because Steve Jobs is smart enough not be in this business. I remember in his speech with Bill Gates, he said he rather build partnership with established business then build/acquire/compete with one. And yahoo no matter whom acquire them cannot give the search to google for the reason that google has monopoly on this one. It will dumb for apple to acquire yahoo coz apple remains to be a hardware company just build with software. All the apple stuff had to have apple hardware and yahoo is not hardware material.

  • Doug

    The reason Apple is not going to buy Yahoo is because it’s not a good deal. Yahoo is failing in it’s choosen market, so why would anyone want to buy it. Microsoft is just looking for a band aid because their stock is plummeting too.

    Anyway, Apple has about 19 billion dollars of profit tucked away for a rainy day. Presumably for current and future R&D. Inventing products that are 5 years ahead of the curve takes some mullah.

    Microsoft, on the other hand is willing to buy Yahoo for around 40 billion dollars and Yahoo says this undervalues the stock. Basically Jerry Yang doesn’t want to be absorbed by the borg.

    Do the math, 19 billion ≠ 40+ billion. And even if Apple could afford Yahoo, they wouldn’t want to buy it. They’re a wait-for-the-dust-to-settle-and-then-innovate kind of company.

  • http://www.chs-law.com Carl Starrett

    I’ve been reading rumors on TechCrunch that Apple wants to get into search. It also seems to me that Steve Jobs is everything that Jerry Yang is not in terms of a corporate visionary with experience to turn around a company. It would also seem to me that Yahoo’s engineers could help Apple fix the problems with Mobleme for the iPhone. With Yahoo trading around $10 a share, now might be a good time for Apple to move in.

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