Microsoft and Yahoo!

Microsoft want to buy Yahoo! and try and fight back against Google. It is amazing to think that two relatively new giants of the internet age might need to join together. The trouble is that internet search defies management theory. There are meant to be three strong global players in any one market. In internet search there is only one. And it doesnt look like there will be another one for a while. Why change when it is so good? The other problem is Yahoo! It is incredible that a company so young has managed to evolve so fast into a company that combines the worst of 70's conglomerates with the 'anything goes' ethos of dotcom. I hope Microsoft know what they are taking on. (Although, incidentally, Yahoo! Answers is very good. You can ask any question and someone will give you a really good answer within five minutes. Someone should spin it off and float it as a separate business!)