Microsoft is officially looking into buying Yahoo

By Mike Dunn November 23, 2011

Microsoft´s courtship of Yahoo has officially moved from rumored to confirmed. Microsoft and Yahoo have taken a very early step in the buying process. The two companies have signed a nondisclosure agreement, which means Microsoft can now poke around at Yahoo’s financials to see if it wants to make an offer.

There have been several recent rumors of Microsoft trying to buy Yahoo, as well as several other possible suitors such as AOL. While other companies may be interested in buying Yahoo, none of the other big name companies have signed a nondisclosure. Now that Microsoft is able to look over Yahoo’s books, it can decide what exactly it wants to do moving forward.

It still isn’t clear if Microsoft will be buying Yahoo outright, or if it will partner with equity firms and make an investment in the search giant. A couple of private equity companies have also signed nondisclosures with Yahoo, but their interest looks to be in making an investment rather than making a purchase.

There are several reasons why Microsoft should be interested in Yahoo; most notably would be search. Yahoo powers the sales behind Microsoft’s Bing search results, and we are sure Microsoft wouldn’t want someone else taking that over. It is also possible that Microsoft will want to intergrate Skype into some of Yahoo’s services, such as Yahoo Messenger.

No matter what ends up happening, Yahoo needs some form of help, either from Microsoft or someone else. Even Yahoo’s iconic San Francisco billboard is feeling the crunch. This is only the first step in the process, and by no means a sure signal that Microsoft will actually buy Yahoo.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Microsoft

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mike graduated from University of Arizona with a degree in poetry, and made his big break by writing love sonnets to the…

Computing

How to find archived emails in Gmail and return them to your inbox

A smartphone sitting on a wooden table, showing the Gmail app's inbox on its screen.

If you’re looking to clean up your Gmail inbox, but you don’t want to delete anything permanently, then choosing the archive option is your best bet. Whenever you archive an email, it is removed from your inbox folder while still remaining accessible. Here’s how to access any emails you have archived previously, as well as how to move such messages back to your regular inbox for fast access.

Web

Samsung Spring Sale: Save on monitors, phones, TVs, and more

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray with S Pen on back.

Samsung, one of the most trusted brands in the electronics industry, has rolled out monitor deals, phone deals, TV deals, and price cuts for other types of devices in the Samsung Spring Sale. While it's going to run until March 10, it's highly recommended that you finish your shopping as soon as you can because for some of the popular offers, there's a chance that their stocks run out quickly. To help you make a quick decision, we've highlighted our favorite bargains below, but feel free to look at everything that's available in the ongoing sale -- just do it fast to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

What to buy in the Samsung Spring Sale

Web

Is there a Walmart Plus free trial? Get a month of free delivery

Take a moment and think about how often you shop at your local Walmart. Is it weekly? Daily? If either of those is the case, it might be time to upgrade your shopping experience. The Walmart Plus free trial is your chance to check out what the retail giant has to offer. Walmart Plus is basically Amazon Prime for Walmart. You get free shipping on most orders, early access to deals and new product drops (like PS5 restocks), the best grocery delivery, and more. If Walmart is your go-to option for the best smart home devices or the best tech products in general, you should get a membership. If you want to test out the service, you can sign up for a free trial. We have all the information you need right here.
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial?
There is a Walmart Plus free trial available, and it’s one of the best free trials we’ve seen in terms of how many great features and conveniences you’re able to access. This is really a reflection of how great the Walmart Plus service is, as the Walmart Plus free trial is essentially a 30-day experience of what it would be like to be a paid Walmart Plus subscriber. A Walmart Plus membership can help you save over $1,300 per year, so taking advantage of the 30-day free trial is a great way to get in there and see what those savings will look like. And if grocery delivery is what you're really after, an alternative you might consider is the Instacart free trial -- they have more than one program to try!

As part of a Walmart Plus free trial, you’ll get free shipping with no minimum order, so even small orders will qualify for free shipping. You’ll get fresh groceries and more with no delivery fees, and all at the same low in-store prices Walmart shoppers are used to. Walmart Plus members, and Walmart Plus free trial members, get exclusive access to special promotions and events, as well as a savings of up to 10 cents per gallon on fuel. A new addition to the perks of being a Walmart Plus member is free access to Paramount Plus, a top-notch streaming service with more than 40,000 TV episodes and movies. All of this is accessible for 30 days through a Walmart Plus free trial, and once those 30 days are up, Walmart Plus is just $8.17 per month or $98 annually.