Google and Yelp working on deal: Will Microsoft put up a fight? |
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Google and Yelp working on deal: Will Microsoft put up a fight?
Google is in talks to buy Yelp, the popular local business review site, according to a TechCrunch report that has been confirmed by the New York Times. At a reported $500 million or more, it's no small deal. Even so, it wouldn't be a surprise to see if Microsoft, Yahoo or another company steps in to make things more interesting.
As the New York Times notes, "The deal between Google and Yelp could still unravel, one person said, particularly if another acquirer comes forward now that details have leaked." That reads to me like Yelp looking around for another potential buyer, possibly seeking more leverage in its Google talks in the process.
Larry Dignan of ZDnet outlines the potential impact of a Google-Yelp deal, envisioning the search giant connecting the Yelp listings and reviews to Google Maps and its online ad system, tying in the real world with its Place Page bar codes, and the mobile world through Android and its AdMob acquisition.
"See where this is going?" he concludes. "Google is your friendly neighborhood local business gatekeeper."
In that context, Microsoft may not be comfortable letting Yelp go without a fight. Even at a higher price, a Yelp deal would make only a small dent in Microsoft's more than $36 billion in cash and short-term investments. Microsoft has recently been showing a renewed appetite for acquisitions, announcing two last week alone.
It's also possible that the battle would come not at the negotiating table but in front of regulators, given the Redmond company's assertion that other companies with large market share should be held to the same antitrust standards as it has been.
Then again, it's worth taking all of this with a grain of salt. We've been through this exercise before, following a report that Google was talking to Twitter about a deal, and nothing has come of that. (At least not yet.)
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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