Report: Ballmer, Bartz Talking Partnerships

Everyone – and we know there must be a lot of you – who would rather not hear more about potential Microsoft-Yahoo deals should get ready to abandon the Internet for a little while.  It looks like a fresh round of rumors is on the way, led by a report that the two companies are discussing partnerships. 

Interestingly, Steve Ballmer and Carol Bartz are supposed to be personally involved, which implies that some rather high-powered negotiations are taking place.  But it’s been said that a flat-out acquisition isn’t on the table this time.

Kara Swisher wrote, "According to a variety of sources, the talks between the pair and other execs at both companies are preliminary and wide-ranging, focused on what kind of commercial relationship Yahoo and Microsoft could have in the future."  And search and advertising deals may be receiving a special amount of attention.

Logic seems to dictate that the corporations are aiming to arrive at a deal in either the very near or rather distant future.  After all, Microsoft’s already preparing to spend $100 million to promote its new search brand.

So again, brace yourself for all sorts of rumors as the situation develops (or doesn’t).