Yahoo and Facebook to Collaborate on Search

The Sunday Telegraph reported that Yahoo and Facebook are in talks to collaborate on ‘search’ functionality. Without naming any sources, the newspaper hinted the tie-up between the two tech giants. So far, none of the companies has confirmed or denied the reports. As expected, the news created a lot of buzz in the cyber world.

According to the news, the CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, and the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, are going over the finer details of the possible collaboration. However, nothing can be said with certainty at this moment in time. Looks like the world would have to wait for either or both the internet giants to make an announcement regarding this news.

Though there is no reliable information regarding the sources who leaked this news to the press, it is being speculated that they were insiders from Yahoo. What has been confirmed is that the companies are looking at a prospective search-based partnership in the near future. This would allow them to collaborate and share resources while carrying out research over the internet.

No other details or specifics regarding the discussion have been revealed as yet. The most likely reason for this is that the deal is still under discussion and it would take some time for the two companies to come to an agreement regarding terms & conditions. It is a common occurrence whenever two giants of an industry decide to work together.

Nothing is certain about the news right now. Exploring the possible reasons why the two giants would decide to collaborate should give you a clearer idea of whether the deal is viable or not.

• Facebook is used by over a billion people across the world, so it can be safely said that they are doing something right. The tie-up with Yahoo would improve the user experience and make it even better. Hence, Facebook could gain a few million users from this deal.
• On the other hand, the deal would allow Yahoo to recapture some of the ground it has lost to Google over the years. Working with a social network would add to the popularity of Yahoo while also making it easier for the company to attract web searchers.

Both the companies can gain from the deal should it go through. The wider impact would be felt by the entire tech industry. The collaboration could be the first of many and might cause a shakeup in the power structure of the major players in the industry.

At the same time, one should not forget this wouldn’t be the first time Facebook collaborates with an industry giant. The social network has an ongoing partnership with Microsoft concerning Bing. However, that hasn’t proven to be the success it was being touted as. This could mean that Facebook is attempting to rectify whatever went wrong with the original deal.

Maybe it has learned from the mistakes over Bing and will form a successful search partnership with Yahoo in the future. It remains to be seen whether the deal is actually made.

[Image via themalaysiantimes]