In the war of the worldwide software giant and the search leviathan, we cannot underestimate what has been the most popular online destination for netizens worldwide - Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo's messenger, chat rooms, groups, avataars, games and much more - have been hosts to millions of users across the globe, transcending boundaries of culture and language. I remember typing "www.yahoo.com" into my browser's address bar the FIRST time I ever used the internet - and so do lacs of others. Yahoo has rarely let down its users by constantly improving its services, giving users what they wanted and doing it BEFORE anyone else did it. But while Yahoo managed to do this for several years, it has recently been accused to failing to keep pace with the advancements in technology. It's profits and share prices have taken a dip, and shareholders' confidence has been at a low.
Businesses like Microsoft would term the situation as "Hit the Iron While It's Hot" but the move would undoubtedly invite the ire and anxiety of millions of users worldwide. Microsoft is not very popular among the net-surfers for its online services - Hotmail, MSN Live Messenger, MSN Communities etc., all of which invoke a solitary feeling from users -"Ancient"! Its inability to feel the pulse of the evolving netizen and its needs has pushed Microsoft on the back front in the arena of online services. Microsoft taking over Yahoo could have dual implications for the users. While Microsoft as an organization is known to be a highly innovative software developer and marketeer, it’s knack of bringing technology under the umbrella of proprietorship is also well known. Users might, therefore, end up with better services, should Microsoft manage a seamless integration with Yahoo (as-it-is) or a set of inferior services, led by proprietary technology (and hence little growth), should Microsoft try to have an iron grip on everything.
In the end - the internet has tremendous potential for growth which needs to be managed and captured not by ONE monolithic giant but by several technology leaders each of whom can specialize and innovate in their domains. Microsoft, without doubt, is the company that needs to be credited for making the PC a household name. It is the company that needs to be credited with making operating systems which enable “dummies” to use computers. But the internet is one place that will be better off without a giant such as Microsoft. And should Microsoft manage to successfully complete this deal, let it be known that the fate of the internet and the companies that drive it is determined NOT by the companies or the governments – it is determined by the users of the World Wide Web who have a mind of their own.
Till next time.. Cheers !
