Microsoft acquires AOL

Garrick Hileman — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:10:25 -0700

As suggested in BoomTown's recent post titled "Microsoft's Next Quarry?", following the Yahoo debacle "many expect a bold step from Microsoft in the space now".

Kara Swisher writes:

"While some think Microsoft should stick more to its knitting and buy enterprise companies like SAP, Ballmer and Johnson have been adamant that online ads will be its next great business. Microsoft has been very close to buying AOL before, once even considering spinning its Internet properties and AOL into a newco, so it does know the lay of the land there."

Additional details of this potential deal were revealed today:

"Microsoft, spurned in its recent efforts to buy all or part of Yahoo, wants to explore ways to combine with AOL, according to the Wall Street Journal. The two companies have been discussing a possible deal for months as an alternative to Microsoft buying Yahoo, the Journal reported in its online edition Wednesday afternoon."

This is a prediction that Microsoft will announce its intent to acquire or merge with AOL on or before September 30, 2008.

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Microsoft acquires AOL