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Yahoo! bides its time with Microsoft bid
…and tries to play the field

By Ina Fried

Published: Monday 04 February 2008

Yahoo! has said its response to Microsoft's unsolicited $44.6bn takeover bid will not be immediate.

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In a brief FAQ posted on its website, Yahoo! said it is "undertaking a deliberate review process" and warns it could "take quite a bit of time".

Yahoo! said its process "will include evaluating all of the company's strategic alternatives - including maintaining Yahoo! as an independent company".

That could include pursuing bids from other companies, Yahoo! said. "That process will take some time but the Board will ultimately pursue the option that it believes can best maximise value for our shareholders," Yahoo! said.

The FAQ marks the company's most substantive comment thus far on the bid. The company issued a brief statement on Friday morning but said only that it was reviewing Microsoft's offer and the company declined all further comment.

Of course, it's unclear how much of Yahoo!'s statement is reality and how much is bravado. The Wall Street Journal noted that while Yahoo! may seek other bidders, none have immediately emerged. Some say Microsoft's big wallet and determination may deter others from pursuing Yahoo!.

Meanwhile, on Saturday a TechCrunch blogger cited rumours that News Corp., which had considered merging its MySpace social-networking site with Yahoo!, was trying to assemble a group of investors to challenge Microsoft's offer.