Rumor: Microsoft to sell Bing to Facebook

[McLovin]

Earlier this month, rumors hit the Internet that Facebook was trying to develop better search features for its users, including creating a dedicated search programming team headed up by a former Google team member. Now a new and rather outrageous rumor has hit the Internet that claims Microsoft might be willing to sell off its Bing search division to Facebook.

Barrons reports that an editor for the cable TV business channel CNBC said on Thursday that Microsoft was considering a sale of Bing to Facebook, in exchange for Microsoft acquiring more of Facebook's stock (Microsoft already owns a 1.6 percent share of Facebook). If such a deal is made, the story claimed it would happen after Facebook launches its public stock offering, which is likely to happen this May.

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This can be a good and bad thing, but not sure if they should do it though.

 

[Gnosis]

If they sell it to Facebook, I will stop using BING.

 

[McLovin]

I have never used Bing in the first place, doesn't really effect me.

 

[jamescv7]

Well this is the reason why Facebook remains to be a top social networking site. Some major companies were having a deal of it.

 

[iPanik]

The rumor mill is alive and well i see.

I don't buy it.
Yesterday Microsoft announced that they will monetize the bing API and move it to Azure Marketplace. Seems illogical to monetize the API one day and sell the entire service the next.
Besides, Bing is too well integrated in the Microsoft ecosystem for them to simply switch search provider.

 

[jamescv7]

Instagram initially wanted $2 billion for sale to Facebook

Earlier in April, the business world was shocked to hear that Facebook had paid $1 billion to acquire Instagram. As it turned out, the leaders of Instagram were originally looking for a much bigger pay day and had to settle for "just" $1 billion.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the CEO of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, wanted as much as $2 billion for the company he helped to found. The article says that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg managed to convince Systrom to take the lower $1 billion price. Zuckerberg also told Systrom that Instagram would continue to be run as if it was a separate company.

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[Ink]

Has anyone used so.cl ?
That primarily uses the BING engine. Just log in using Windows Live or Facebook.