The Digital Corner

By now, everyone has read the news about Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo!. This isn’t really a surprise, but could be insight into a lot of other possiblities. I won’t go into the millions of reasons that are all over the internet about why it will or won’t work, but I do want to discuss some possiblities. This could be a great opportunity for small/medium size business for a few reason. Besides the obvious advantages of having a competive market in online advertisng platforms, this will push the speed of innovation of web services faster. This is a major positive for small/medium busines s (SMB) advertisers and Microsoft. Online advertising allows Microsoft can have a direct relationship with small/medium businesses and offer products that are affordable for the customer (advertiser) and remain profitable for MS. 

The one thing MS has perfected is the reseller model. Why not apply that model to online services and software? MS could extend their reach if they utilized a VAR system through ad agencies or software resellers. This allows a deeper relationship with small companies and more exposure to MS products. Email, storage, hosting and advertising could all be sold via VAR system through a MS reseller. With the reach that Yahoo! and Microsoft would have in online media, this would be a great tool for SMBs and a business model familar to Microsoft that they can rally around.