It’s been one of the greatest “Will they, won’t they” relationships of all time…(perhaps beaten only by Mulder & Scully)
and now it turns out, (like nearly all cheerleaders in horror films), that yes they will:
Microsoft & Yahoo are inked a 10 year deal to combine their search businesses.
Taken from the official site for this announcement:
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% of search revenue generated on Yahoo!’s O&O sites during the first 5 years of the agreement.
- 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.
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.
The bold and underlining is mine to highlight some of the key points. It looks like the awesomeness of Bing was a driving force behind showing Yahoo that this deal made sense and it certainly looks like the balance sheets will be healthier after all this!
Another point to note is:
“The agreement does not cover each company’s web properties and products, email, instant messaging, display advertising, or any other aspect of the companies’ businesses. In those areas, the companies will continue to compete vigorously”
so at best, MS & Yahoo are Frenemies 🙂
I haven’t delved into the depths of this partnership and who will earn what when etc, but there is more info on that over at the official site:
http://www.choicevalueinnovation.com/thedeal/Default.aspx
ps: I’ve consciously stayed away from using the term “MicroHoo” 🙂
Cloudy with a chance of Licensing 