MS / Yahoo! – Communications Impact
Microsoft has bid to buy Yahoo!
This is being widely reported as an anti-Google move. But in communications — email, instant messaging/presence, social networks etc. — a Yahoo! – Microsoft combination would be tremendously dominant. Microsoft has the leading IM platform in Europe. The second place varies by country: AOL or Skype or Yahoo! but never Google’s.
Similarly with free email. Microsoft’s Hotmail (now branded variously with Windows Live flavours) and Yahoo!’s excellent email service have an enormous user base and Google is smaller competitor.
In VOIP, the key players are likewise not Google, but the DSL ISPs (including incumbent telecoms operators) Skype, and Microsoft. Googletalk is far behind in take-up.
Related reports:
Instant Messaging Growth, Quantifying the Link Between Skype, IM, and Social Networks.
Social Networking Across Europe, Using Localization and Personalization to Drive Growth
Competing with Free Communications,
Delivering Revenues from Rising Consumer Adoption of Digital Communications
