Yahoo

Business
May 21, 2012
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Alibaba repurchases half of Yahoo's stake for $7.1 billion

By on May 21, 2012 at 11:25 PM.

Alibaba repurchases half of Yahoo's stake for $7.1 billion

Yahoo Alibaba Stake

As Yahoo’s struggles continue, the company is looking to cut costs and dig up cash wherever it can. Yahoo announced plans last month to lay off 2,000 workers, or nearly 15% of its staff, and before that it filed a “puzzling” patent lawsuit against long-time partner Facebook. Now, Yahoo will sell half of its 40% stake in China-based retail giant Alibaba. Led by Chinese Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma, Alibaba will repurchase part of Yahoo’s holdings in the e-commerce firm for $7.1 billion as it prepares to take the company public. The deal, which was announced in a joint statement on Monday, will see Yahoo sell half its stake in Alibaba for $6.3 billion in cash and as much as $800 million in new preferred stock. Yahoo purchased its 40% stake in Alibaba in 2005 for $1 billion.

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Business
May 3, 2012
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Microsoft hires 14 Yahoo researchers for new NYC lab

By on May 3, 2012 at 10:30 PM.

Microsoft hires 14 Yahoo researchers for new NYC lab

Microsoft hires 14 Yahoo researchers

Microsoft has hired 14 Yahoo researchers for its brand new New York research lab, AllThingsD reported. The hires come after Yahoo made significant layoffs last month to its research and development unit. According to Jennifer Chayes, who manages Microsoft Research in New England and New York, the researchers were’t hired as a package deal. “I don’t feel like we hired a group; I feel like we hired 15 amazing individuals, some of which became available because there were some problems at Yahoo,” she said. The software giant has an extensive research division that includes some 850 Ph.Ds, and the New York City lab will be the company’s 13th global office. More →

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Business
April 4, 2012
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Yahoo announces plans to lay off 2,000 workers

By on April 4, 2012 at 9:35 AM.

Yahoo announces plans to lay off 2,000 workers

Yahoo on Wednesday confirmed plans to lay off more than 2,000 employees as part of new cost-cutting efforts. The Internet giant currently employs approximately 14,000 full-time workers and several thousand more contractors. The workforce reductions will be spread across a number of units within Yahoo including its product division, local business unit, marketing division and research and development division. “Today’s actions are an important next step toward a bold, new Yahoo! — smaller, nimbler, more profitable and better equipped to innovate as fast as our customers and our industry require. We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities. Our goal is to get back to our core purpose — putting our users and advertisers first — and we are moving aggressively to achieve that goal,” said Scott Thompson, CEO of Yahoo!. “Unfortunately, reaching that goal requires the tough decision to eliminate positions. We deeply value our people and all they’ve contributed to Yahoo!.” Yahoo plans further cuts in the coming months, and the company’s full statement on the layoffs follows below. More →

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Internet
April 3, 2012
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Facebook files patent countersuit against Yahoo

By on April 3, 2012 at 4:40 PM.

Facebook files patent countersuit against Yahoo

Yahoo filed a massive patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook last month, claiming that Facebook’s News Feed, advertising methods, privacy settings and more infringed on its intellectual property. Facebook on Tuesday fired back at Yahoo with a countersuit, accusing the company of infringing upon 10 of its patents. Among its claims, the social networking giant says Yahoo’s Flickr photostream and its recent activity feature infringe a Facebook patent related to generating a personalized feed of stories on a social network. ”While we are asserting patent claims of our own, we do so in response to Yahoo’s short-sighted decision to attack one of its partners and prioritize litigation over innovation,” Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot said in a statement to Reuters. Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site, is in the process of its initial public offering that is expected to raise as much as $10 billion. More →

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Business
March 13, 2012
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Yahoo files ‘puzzling’ patent lawsuit against Facebook

By on March 13, 2012 at 7:15 PM.

Yahoo files ‘puzzling’ patent lawsuit against Facebook

Yahoo has filed a massive patent infringement lawsuit against its business partner, Facebook, AllThingsD reported on Monday. The search company claims that Facebook’s News Feed, advertising methods, privacy settings and more infringe its patents. “Facebook’s entire social network model, which allows users to create profiles for and connect with, among other things, persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo’s patented social networking technology,” Yahoo’s lawsuit said. The company claims that Facebook has been “free riding” on Yahoo’s intellectual property and royalty payments alone will not be enough. Read on for more. More →

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Business
January 31, 2012
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Nikesh Arora rumored to become Motorola CEO after acquisition

By on January 31, 2012 at 6:05 PM.

Nikesh Arora rumored to become Motorola CEO after acquisition

Nikesh Arora, Google’s SVP and Chief Business Officer, will run Motorola once the Google acquisition closes later this year, according to rumor published by Business Insider. Arora ran the company’s international business for Eric Schmidt, taking over the global business after the former CEO stepped down. Arora has reportedly been “agitating” for a CEO position and was included on a short list of candidates to head Yahoo. It is possible, however, that a promised CEO slot at Motorola could have prompted Arora to continue with Google. The rumor further notes that Dennis Woodside, Google’s current head of U.S. sales, will take over Arora’s current position. More →

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Business
January 19, 2012
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Yahoo considers layoffs, reportedly freezes hiring

By on January 19, 2012 at 7:50 PM.

Yahoo considers layoffs, reportedly freezes hiring

Yahoo has frozen its hiring process and may even consider layoffs according to a new report. The news was revealed by AllThingsD on Thursday, which wrote that the choices were made ahead of expected weak fourth quarter earnings. Yahoo isn’t considering mass layoffs, however; instead, AllThingsD said they are likely to be “small and selective” if they happen at all. Yahoo experienced a bit of turmoil earlier this week when co-founder, former CEO and board member Jerry Yang resigned from the company. AllThingsD said other board members may be considering leaving the company, too. Yahoo will report its fourth quarter earnings next Tuesday. More →

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Business
January 17, 2012
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Yahoo co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang resigns

By on January 17, 2012 at 5:20 PM.

Yahoo co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang resigns

Co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang has resigned from all of his positions with Yahoo, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday. Yang co-founded Yahoo in 1995 with David Filo and served as a member of the Board of Directors since March 1995. Yang was also the company’s CEO from June 2007 to January 2009, until he was replaced by Carol Bartz. ”My time at Yahoo!, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life,” said Yang in a statement. “However, the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo! As I leave the company I co-founded nearly 17 years ago, I am enthusiastic about the appointment of Scott Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and his ability, along with the entire Yahoo! leadership team, to guide Yahoo! into an exciting and successful future.” Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock praised Yang, calling him both a visionary and pioneer. “We appreciate Jerry’s comments and share his enthusiasm for the company’s prospects. With Scott Thompson leading an outstanding team of Yahoos to deliver innovative products and an engaging customer experience, Yahoo!’s future is bright,” said Bostock. Yahoo’s press release follows below. More →

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Business
January 4, 2012
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Yahoo names former PayPal president Scott Thompson as new CEO

By on January 4, 2012 at 10:41 AM.

Yahoo names former PayPal president Scott Thompson as new CEO

Yahoo on Wednesday announced that former PayPal president Scott Thompson will takeover as CEO of the company. Thompson will replace Tim Morse, who has served as the interim CEO since the firing of Carol Bartz last year. ” With the ultimate goal of delivering the value our shareholders expect, my immediate focus will be on getting to know the entire team and hearing more from all Yahoo!s, working closely with the engineers and product teams, and diving deeply into our products and services to learn more about what our more than 700 million users find most engaging and useful,” Thompson said. “I will also be working directly with our region leaders and sales teams globally to get a clearer understanding of the needs of our advertisers and publisher.” Yahoo’s full press release follows after the break. More →

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social
November 8, 2011
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Facebook’s Zuckerberg says Google, Yahoo and Microsoft collect data ‘behind your back’ [video]

By on November 8, 2011 at 5:45 PM.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg says Google, Yahoo and Microsoft collect data ‘behind your back’ [video]

In a recent interview on the Charlie Rose show, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Yahoo, Microsoft and Google are secretly collecting user data. Zuckerberg also argued that Facebook is more transparent than the aforementioned companies. “It’s just that they’re collecting that about you behind your back,” he said. “You’re going around the web and they’re collecting this huge amount of information about you and you never knew that.” Zuckerberg did admit that Google allows users to see which information it is storing through its Google Dashboard website, but said “very few people” know that feature exists or bother to check it. Zuckerberg also said Facebook provides more features for users to manage what people can and cannot see, although it is arguable that Google+ makes it much easier to configure these options from the get-go. A clip of the interview can be found after the break. More →

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Business
October 5, 2011
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Microsoft may be considering Yahoo acquisition, again

By on October 5, 2011 at 7:15 PM.

Microsoft may be considering Yahoo acquisition, again

Rumor has it Microsoft is again toying with the idea of purchasing Yahoo. The Redmond, Washington-based company may partner with another unnamed firm in an effort to make a bid, an anonymous Microsoft executive told Reuters on Wednesday. However, Reuters noted that other divisions inside Microsoft are still not sold on making an offer on the troubled search engine. AllThingsD said rumors about Microsoft’s interest are not true and that the company is not currently interested in acquiring Yahoo. Several other companies are said to be interested in purchasing Yahoo, which recently fired its CEO Carol Bartz, including DST Global, Providence Equity Partners, Alibaba, Hellman & Friedman and Silverlake Partners. Microsoft made an offer for Yahoo in 2008 before cutting off all discussions. More →

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Business
September 7, 2011
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Yahoo fires CEO, puts company up for sale

By on September 7, 2011 at 7:45 AM.

Yahoo fires CEO, puts company up for sale

Following recent rumblings surrounding discontent atop Yahoo’s executive chain, the struggling Internet company fired its CEO Carol Bartz. In the same stroke, Yahoo! also revealed that it is for sale. News broke Tuesday night that former chief executive Carol Bartz sent an email to the entire Yahoo organization. In her brief note, she stated that Yahoo’s chairman of the board had fired her — over the phone, no less. Yahoo confirmed the news, stating that Chief Financial Officer Tim Morse would step in as interim CEO while the company searches for a new chief. Following the news, a Yahoo employee speaking with The Wall Street Journal also confirmed that the company would be open to selling itself. “Yahoo is open to selling itself to the right bidder,” the Journal wrote. No additional details were provided. Carol Bartz’s full email to Yahoo staff follows below. More →

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Software
August 23, 2011
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Hulu future foggy, bids for company due Wednesday

By on August 23, 2011 at 1:00 AM.

Hulu future foggy, bids for company due Wednesday

Bids for the online streaming company Hulu are due on Wednesday but it is still unclear what the company’s future will hold. Bidders will “submit proposals with wide price ranges based on what types of television shows Hulu would license, when those shows would become available on Hulu and how long the agreements would stretch,” The Wall Street Journal said in a report. Most recently, Hulu changed its licensing terms and now offers television shows eight days after they air, which could turn some viewers off from the service entirely. Previously, Hulu allowed viewers to watch their favorite shows for free the day after they aired, a much more attractive option. Hulu Plus subscribers can still watch new episodes the next day. Rumors surfaced in July that Apple was pondering a Hulu purchase and The Wall Street Journal said Amazon, Google, DirecTV and Yahoo are among those who have been named as potential bidders. Industry insiders have suggested company could fetch between $500 million and $2 billion.

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