LookingConfident's  Instablog

The news that Microsoft has bought Yammer for $US1.2bn can only see it having more available inventory for it's Microsoft Exchange. Certainly when added to another (last years $8.5 billion) purchase in Skype, Xbox and possible in-app inventory, that might also yet come with Windows 8.

This quickly growing Social Network Yammer (we're told) has mostly relied largely on word of mouth to have attracted more than 5 million registered users at more than 200,000 companies worldwide.

Microsoft's latest move to further 'build' it's Exchange (certainly on the publisher side) comes on top of recent news of a Facebook Exchange now seeming to be an inevitability.

All of this I believe can (ultimately), only add to Looksmart's own unique (no friction) performance marketplace. Where advertisers get to follow 'users' (via 'user intent'-search data) in an ever expanding marketplace.

I cannot make it any clearer (I feel) that what is contained in my (today) post In mentioning FACEBOOK-over on Yahoo Finance's LOOK board.

[Note (and again) from the initial linked article, Microsoft retains a 1.7 per cent stake in Facebook-said to be worth about $US840 million.]

Today's great (Zach Rogers-from Cannes) article @ AdExchanger with Microsoft's Rik Van Der Kooi tells much of Microsoft's own "intent".

< "We will look at increasing the connections and bringing third-party inventory to create scale. We just did a partnership with 24/7 [Media], which will make inventory from all the partners they represent available through the ad exchange, but also through the partnership that we did with Yahoo and AOL earlier this year.- We're making sure we create interoperability and make that ecosystem as a whole larger & thereby more accessible for advertisers and more attractive for other publishers to come join."

There's a clear alignment between Facebook and Microsoft on search. Is there a possible partnership on display?

"You're familiar with the partnership that we have on the search side and the announcement we did recently with Bing, which allows you to bring in all your Facebook buddies into your experience.

We do have conversations from time to time around opportunities for us to partner around display. It hasn't led to anything meaningful at this point. That's also because in ways we are competitors also. It's important to both of us that we are clear on where we compete and where we might align."

I could make an argument that AppNexus's involvement with the new Facebook Exchange is a form of partnership for you as well.

"It's an indirect way to start to make some of those connections. I will say there is a level of philosophical alignment that over time may lead to more. - But I want to be clear I'm not insinuating that there's anything happening there." >

Some-how I feel that we've heard that last sentence, all before today.

Always, only an opinion.

LOOK: On Jun 25: 0.76 0.01 (-1.30%) (A MC of just $13.14M)

LC

Disclosure: Long LOOK

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