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微软与雅虎关于搜索引擎的扯皮终于有了个说法并立刻显示了市场效果–雅虎股票暴跌！7月29日，微软与雅虎达成关于相关协议。雅虎与微软的官方联合新闻稿为：Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape。在美东时间8：30AM，Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz与微软老大Steve Ballmer召开对外电话会议，发布和讨论这个决定。

之前，业界猜测和期盼的是雅虎把其搜索引擎卖给微软。从而微软的Bing能够整合力量，挑战谷歌。目前看来，雅虎与微软还是腻腻歪歪的，没有达到这个战略目标。微软确实有病（Bing）！当然，这里面的一切的一切都是钱说了算。钱如果给的足够多，好像买不到的东西还真不多：-）

该合作协议重要细节大概如下：

• The term of the agreement is 10 years;
• Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10 year license to Yahoo!’s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate Yahoo! search technologies into its existing Web search platforms;
• Microsoft’s Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo! sites. Yahoo! will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business such as enhancing display advertising technology;
• Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers. Self-serve advertising for both companies will be fulfilled by Microsoft’s AdCenter platform, and prices for all search ads will continue to be set by AdCenter’s automated auction process;
• Each company will maintain its own separate display advertising business and sales force;
• Yahoo! will innovate and “own” the user experience on Yahoo! properties, including the user experience for search, even though it will be powered by Microsoft technology;
• Microsoft will compensate Yahoo! through a revenue sharing agreement on traffic generated on Yahoo!’s network of both owned and operated (O&O) and affiliate sites;
  • Microsoft will pay traffic acquisition costs (TAC) to Yahoo! at an initial rate of 88 percent of search revenue generated on Yahoo!’s O&O sites during the first five years of the agreement; and
  • Yahoo! will continue to syndicate its existing search affiliate partnerships.
• Microsoft will guarantee Yahoo!’s O&O revenue per search (RPS) in each country for the first 18 months following initial implementation in that country;
• At full implementation (expected to occur within 24 months following regulatory approval), Yahoo! estimates, based on current levels of revenue and current operating expenses, that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual GAAP operating income of approximately $500 million and capital expenditure savings of approximately $200 million. Yahoo! also estimates that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual operating cash flow of approximately $275 million; and
• The agreement protects consumer privacy by limiting the data shared between the companies to the minimum necessary to operate and improve the combined search platform, and restricts the use of search data shared between the companies. The agreement maintains the industry-leading privacy practices that each company follows today.

总而言之， 这个合作为期10年；雅虎继续保留其要死不活的Yahoo!Search品牌；微软的Bing除了自己接着玩之外，将为Yahoo!Search提供相关底层搜索功能。换言之，Yahoo!Search’s Powered by Bing。另外，要注意，微软获得使用Yahoo!Search技术的权利。

另外，当年Google还是一个初创公司时，Yahoo!Search也曾经用过Google的技术。Yahoo!Search’s Powered by Google!

据说当年斯坦福的那两个小孩最大的梦想就是Yahoo!能够花点银子把Google收购了。例如5千万，或者1亿美金之类的。但是，当年Yahoo!的 当权派没有想到N年后的今天。。。万幸！我们现在还拥有Google!

在这个合约中，许多读者有可能忽略的是这样一句话： “…and capital expenditure savings of approximately $200 million….”。

这是什么意思呢？通常而言，就是微软会开始提供Server Farm和所有的Infrastrucuture。Yahoo!您就别折腾了，底层的搜索平台（Search Platform）将由微软提供。这就是为什么2亿美金的开销能省下来的原因。

如果对炒股感兴趣的读者，就应该开始思考，原来谁是Yahoo的Server Farm和相关基础设施的提供者？

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