With Yahoo under 10 bucks and MS turning away , AT&T can seriously consider Yahoo. At the risk of using consulting jargon , both companies have synergies in SBC Yahoo Internet , Yahoo web remote for uVerse and yahoo mail for AT&T internet customers. But the reason I am suggesting this merger is beyond such skin deep items.
Problem at Yahoo is to monetize the eyeballs .. AT&T can help ..
Time has come to productize email. If AT&T offers yahoo email say @ $1 a month , millions of users can subscribe provided there is no random advertising , guarantee of AT&T security and promise that no one search your mail box .. just need packaging..
If AT&T provides me capability to call any lanline or wireless in US from my YM and incoming YM calls end at my landline (in case I an not online), I won't mind paying $ 2 extra to AT&T on my monthly bill . There goes random competitors like Skype and Vonage. Now AT&T can think to itself that Vonage and Skype are NOT competitors but some day they need to face these challenges. And think , how else would AT&T reincarnate otherwise dying landline?
How about using AT&T database to build yahoo 360 social network .. Imagine if all the people I call from my landline or wireless , show up in my yahoo 360 social network !!! With my calling history and voice mails .. wow .. I may not like to pay extra for this but AT&T can pump all sorts of applications and be a hip company again .. kick the butt of Facebook here ..create a buzz for uVerse.
And the best part is to offer yahoo apps to AT&T SMB customers. AT&T had millions of small businesses who can use yahoo mail , messenger and websites with their domain name ..
AT&T is already integrating yahoo games with uVerse. How about bundling yahoo news and mail on your LCD TV .. Now this is a long shot but Yahoo can be a great media partners for uVerse. Will be great if I could see my TV at uverse.yahoo.com anywhere anytime ...and may be on my cell for 5 extra bucks a month ..
AT&T has a lot at their plate in terms of their self discovery ..understanding that they are AT&T (not Cingular) .. but this is too good an opportunity to miss
From Yahoo's standpoint , AT&T is a lot better partner than big brother like MS or Google. They can add great value to AT&T , be a jewel in the crown and really fuel the innovation they are known for ...
