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Lycos CEO claims partnership ‘not imminent’
Cross-media promotional deal with media/telecoms operation still some way off
Lycos' talks with a major global media or telecoms company would appear to have stalled, according to comments made yesterday by the Internet portal's CEO, Bob Davis. Keen to persuade both markets and industry watchers that, despite such a deal, Lycos would remain an independent company, Davis also claimed no tie-in is imminent. Last week, Lycos' VP for international business development, Eric Gerritsen, told the Financial Times that the company is in "informal discussions" with a number of media and telecoms operations (see Lycos seeks investment partner, preferably non-smoker). Lycos is offering a 20 per cent stake in the company to encourage its partner -- Gerritsen refused to name names -- to promote it across multiple media. "We could do with the global clout a large media or telecoms group would bring," said Gerritsen. The increased interest in possible partnerships follows the acquisition of Lycos' rival, Excite, by US cable company @Home (see Merger makes Excite feel @Home). ®