Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/06/25/ballmer_yahoo_coulda_shoulda_woulda/

Ballmer! in! anything! could! happen! shocker! over! Yahoo! deal!

Coulda shoulda woulda

By Kelly Fiveash

Posted in On-Prem, 25th June 2009 12:02 GMT

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer is still holding his arms out to internet giant Yahoo!.

Speaking at the Cannes Lion 2009 ad festival yesterday, Big Steve said: “We remain open to a partnership with Yahoo!”, according to Reuters.

When asked if an agreement between the rival web firms could be reached, Ballmer added: "Who knows?"

As we have tirelessly reported, Yahoo! has battled with Microsoft for rather a long time now, in a will-they-won’t-they soap opera-like tussle that ended in acrimony last year when Yahoo’s! former CEO Jerry Yang rejected Redmond's $47.5bn offer.

Since then every few weeks a new comment emerges from Ballmer, current Yahoo! boss Carol Bartz or other key players who are lining up in the epicfutile fight to out-Google Google.

But any deal between the two companies remains as close/far away as ever. ®