Getting your player ready...
REDMOND, Wash. — Micro soft has stepped up discussions with Yahoo about a partnership designed to challenge Google in the Internet- search market, people familiar with the matter said.
Qi Lu, president of Micro soft’s online-services unit, and Charles Songhurst, an executive who helps oversee acquisitions, are involved, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private.
Microsoft isn’t seriously considering an outright acquisition of Yahoo’s search unit, the person said. Instead, the companies are looking at proposals to work together to sell sponsored links next to Web searches and graphical-display ads such as banners and videos.
