Yahoo Responds to Microsoft - Again
By Anthony | April 7, 2008
Since Microsoft’s attempt earlier this month to bully Yahoo into submission, Yahoo decided to publicly respond.
In a letter sent over the weekend, Roy Bostock and Jerry Yang had a few barbs sent Microsoft’s way:
As a follow up to a recent meeting among our respective legal advisors we had on this topic, and at your request, we provided to you on March 28 a list of additional information we would need to further our understanding of the regulatory issues associated with any transaction. To date, you have still not provided any of the requested information…
We consider your threat to commence an unsolicited offer and proxy contest to displace our independent Board members to be counterproductive and inconsistent with your stated objective of a friendly transaction. We are confident that our stockholders understand that our independent Board is best positioned to objectively and knowledgeably evaluate our Company’s alternatives and to maximize value.
In conclusion, please allow us to restate our position, so there can be no confusion. We are open to all alternatives that maximize stockholder value. To be clear, this includes a transaction with Microsoft if it represents a price that fully recognizes the value of Yahoo! on a standalone basis and to Microsoft, is superior to our other alternatives, and provides certainty of value and certainty of closing.
Seems pretty clear to me. Yahoo is not opposing ANYTHING that brings value to its stockholders, including a purchase by Microsoft. Although, if Microsoft buys Yahoo, it will probably be a big blow for Open-Source software since much of Yahoo’s platform is open source and Microsoft wants the whole world to only use it’s clunky software.
Stumble it!Topics: Microsoft, search engine, yahoo | No Comments »
Google Selling Performics
By Anthony | April 7, 2008
When Google purchased DoubleClick, they also became the owners of Performics - Search Engine Optimization company. There was a lot of talk in the SEO/SEM community about that being a conflict of interest - a Search Engine company owning a Search Engine Optimization company.
Last week Google announced it will sell off the Performics portion of DoubleClick:
It’s clear to us that we do not want to be in the search engine marketing business. Maintaining objectivity in both search and advertising is paramount to Google’s mission and core to the trust we ask from our users. For this reason, we plan to sell the Performics search marketing business to a third party. We believe this will allow us to maintain objectivity and the search marketing business to continue to grow and innovate and serve its customers. While we have not yet identified a buyer, we’ve received preliminary interest from a number of our current partners. Search Marketing will continue to run as a separate entity until the division is sold.
Of course, looking back, it seemed obvious that Google would do that. It was the right thing to do and failure to do that would have shed a bad light on Google. Danny Sullivan was one who openly expressed the desire to see Google do that and is glad they did.
Couple the sale of Performics and the reported layoff of 300 of DoubleClick’s employees and that means about 500 people share the distinction of briefly being Google employees. That fact still looks nice on a résumé…
Topics: Google, search engine, seo | No Comments »
New Web Design Projects Ahead
By Anthony | April 3, 2008
Wow! It has been FOREVER since I updated anyone on our upcoming projects. You might have thought we had nothing to do - haha. The guys will certainly tell you differently. Here are a few things that we have cooking:
We have started several new web design projects. For example, we are working on a new web design for Ward Shore Realty in Swansboro, NC. Ashley Melton’s current web site has served him well and he wanted to update the look to freshen it up. So, we are doing a complete redesign taking SEO into account as well.
We also are creating two new web sites for Jamie Kirkman. Jamie and his wife are the owners of Kirkman’s Signs and JL Kirkman Antique Mall in New Bern, NC. Jamie tried to do the web sites himself with the help of a family member. As happens many times with that type of arrangement, they bit off a little more than they could chew. 
I am very flattered that he awarded us two different projects and welcome both he and his wife to the Crystal Coast Tech family.
Finally, we are putting the finishing touches on a new web site for Coastal Kennels. Tammy and her mom are breeders of top quality Shetland Sheepdogs and have many Show Champions to prove it. Naturally, we are glad to be able to work on her project and should have it wrapped up in the next few weeks.
Whew - that is a lot! And that is not even all we are working on. We have many other projects in the queue and will have more information on them soon. Plus, we recently put the finishing touches on a 3D rendering for a new project at Wake Forest University right here in North Carolina.
If you would like a professional web design that gets results in Search Engines, contact us and we will show you the ways we we can help you reach your Internet goals. Better yet - contact our clients and let them tell you how we helped them.
Topics: Web Design News | No Comments »
Google Owns Performics (By Extension)
By Anthony | March 12, 2008
Now that the DoubleClick / Google marriage has been blessed by both the European Commission and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, SEOs and SEMs everywhere will be eager to see what Google will do with Performics. Performics is a Search Engine Marketing company owned by DoubleClick and so Google now owns a Search Engine Marketing company by the fact that they own DoubleClick.
And to think that Google had the nerve to penalize US just for selling a few text-links on our blog … wow.
Here is a quote from Performics’ web site that I thought summed it all up pretty well:
Together, DoubleClick Performics and DoubleClick offer clients an unparalleled range of marketing solutions and are uniquely positioned to compare effectiveness across marketing channels for valued clients.
I particularly liked the phrase “uniquely positioned“. THAT is somewhat understating it, I think. Imagine being able to pick up the phone and call Google to find out what to do to get a particular site ranking #1… Why would ANYONE hire any other SEM/SEO firm? After all, if you wanted your brand new site to shoot to the top of the SERPs, wouldn’t you STRONGLY consider the Search Engine Marketing company owned by the number one Search Engine? Of course you would. At the very least, the fact that Performics and Google are related has to carry a ton of clout, even if Google claims that they are not going to give special treatment to Performics’ clients.
Danny Sullivan posted about this today in a post that would have taken me about 5 months to complete - good job, Danny.
Topics: Google, search engine, seo | No Comments »
Web Design Completed
By Anthony | February 29, 2008
We recently put the finishing touches on another web design for a North Carolina company: Coastal House Watch. They are a full-service, Emerald Isle NC property management company that takes care of everything from routine home maintenance to securing your house when a hurricane is heading our way. They will take pictures before and after the storm and will even meet your insurance adjuster if that is necessary. In addition, they can take care of the repairs once all the insurance paperwork is finalized.
Another service they offer comes in handy when you are on your way down to your beach house for your summer vacation. You simply give them your grocery list and they will take care of the shopping for you as well as make sure everything is stocked up in your home and the A/C is set just the way you like it. They really offer a great service.
If you have a property down here on the NC coast, you should contact them and see how they can help you out.
Topics: Web Design News | 2 Comments »
Faststone Screen Capture is an absolute "can't do without" piece of software. Capture screenshots in a fixed window or with the scrolling window feature. It even has a screen color-picker that will tell you the code for any color that is displayed on your screen. Love it. Oh, its free too! 
Get our RSS feed