Chapter 1156: Bill Gates' conditions

Five years ago, Microsoft was willing to cooperate with Yahoo, mainly because the Yahoo browser's breakthrough software product can promote the promotion of Microsoft's next-generation desktop operating system.
However, when Windows 95 was a big success and Microsoft Windows was unified, Bill Gates gradually felt that Microsoft had suffered a big loss in this cooperation with Yahoo.
Yahoo! browsers quickly dominated the graphical browser market with the enthusiasm of Windows 95, but Microsoft only got a promise that could not be fulfilled in the short term.
Therefore, Microsoft has more than once thought of tearing up the contract.
However, for the first time, Bill Gates had always had the idea of ​​annexing Yahoo with the 30% forward equity subscription thrown by Eric. He was hesitant to tear his face with Yahoo.
In the following years, with the outbreak of the Internet wave, Microsoft realized that the original contract even became a constraint for Microsoft to follow the trend to expand the Internet business.
Although Yahoo! Browser is the default browser for Windows, the control of this software has always been in the hands of Yahoo. Through the traffic guidance of Yahoo! Browser's network interface, Yahoo! Portal has aggressively occupied more than 70% of the Internet portal market, and has gradually created Yahoo's current market value of more than $170 billion.
In comparison, Microsoft's MSN portal has received almost no help from the Yahoo browser.
However, when it comes to realizing this, Microsoft wants to tear the face with Yahoo, but it is too late.
Yahoo's advantage in the Internet business has been ingrained through the Yahoo! Technology Alliance and tens of thousands of patent barriers.
Five years ago, if Microsoft refused to cooperate with Yahoo and developed its own graphical interface browser, even if it would be behind Yahoo for a year and a half, it could still create a new standard with its extensive operating system platform. Yahoo is fighting against it.
But now, Yahoo's set of technical standards has been used on millions of Internet sites, and even if Microsoft is strong enough, it can't regain its initiative in the Internet sector, which has lagged behind itself for five years.
It can be said that the cooperation plan with Yahoo five years ago is definitely the most significant decision-making mistake of Microsoft that has been going smoothly in the past few years. Even within Microsoft, there is no lack of criticism of Bill Gates himself who personally made this collaboration.
Many people think that if Microsoft can independently develop a graphical interface browser, and rely on its monopoly on the operating system platform, many of Yahoo's scenery should belong to Microsoft.
I tried each other. When Amy Adams brought the lunches of the two men, Bill Gates picked up the cutlery and cut a piece of steak in front of him. It began to reveal his own cards.
Although the 30% forward equity subscription contract has become a chicken rib, Microsoft does not intend to give up easily, and certainly must get enough benefits from Yahoo and even the firefly system.
"Eric, you really don't want to sell Yahoo's shares to Microsoft, right?"
"Of course I don't want to," Eric nodded and smiled. "However, after the transaction, whether it is $50 billion in cash or a 10% stake in Microsoft, it is very cheap for me."
Looking at Eric's smile at this time, Bill Gates suddenly thought of it many years ago, when he sneaked into the Windows system with the contract of Apple and was staggered by Steve Jobs.
Although the attitudes of the two people are very different, the feeling of discomfort in Bill Gates's mind is exactly the same. Turning his eyes to the food in front of him, Bill Gates still couldn't find a suitable vocabulary to describe Eric at this time.
Of course, if he has studied Chinese, he may easily find some appropriate adjectives from the profound Chinese language, for example, belly black.
Instead of cutting a piece of steak, Bill Gates did not pick up the fork, but looked up: "Eric, Microsoft has a three-month hesitation, but from the current situation, Nasdaq The index is absolutely impossible to support for another three months. Once the Nasdaq crashes, Yahoo's stock price will definitely have a deep decline. At that time, Microsoft will want to buy 30% of Yahoo's shares, which will not cost $50 billion. For Microsoft, raising $120 billion in cash is still very easy."
"Even if there are one or two billion dollars, it is not bad," Eric shrugged, and then smiled. He said with a serious expression: "Bill, in my opinion, cooperation between Yahoo and Microsoft is the best win-win situation. Mode. So, what do you want, why not say it straight?"
Bill Gates squatted, and quickly said: "Eric, Microsoft can give up this equity subscription agreement, but the condition is that Firefly Electronics must stop the development of the YOS system, as compensation, Microsoft can specifically for Yahoo! The mini music store has a custom operating system platform."
Since 1996, Yahoo has begun to develop the YOS system based on Steve Mitnick's original operating system ideas and the mobile operating system concept proposed by Eric. Y is naturally the first letter of Yahoo.
Although the project was transferred to Firefly Electronics before Yahoo went public, the name of the system has not changed.
Three years of silent research and development, together with the synchronous advancement of ARM chips, capacitive touch screen and other hardware projects, Firefly Electronics has now a very mature full set of tablet technology.
Because many details can't satisfy Eric, Firefly Electronics is not in a hurry to release tablet products for the purpose of excellence.
However, the mini music store based on a series of technical achievements of Firefly Electronics has been officially promoted.
In fact, when discussing the mini music store plan, Firefly Electronics executives considered Microsoft's reaction to this new operating system. Now, as expected, Microsoft has been wary of YOS, and it is not a general vigilance.
Moreover, this kind of vigilance is precisely very accurate.
The YOS system is related to Eric's industrial layout in the future of the mobile Internet era. Even if it loses 30% of Yahoo's shares, and even immediately succumbs to Microsoft, Eric is absolutely impossible to stop the development of the YOS system.
However, in this restaurant, Eric just smiled and said: "It seems that you really did a lot of work ahead of time."
"Of course," Bill Gates nodded. "Microsoft never despise any competitor."
"In this case, Bill, you should know that this is a hardware and software integration of electronic devices, Microsoft can not provide a customized system for Firefly Electronics' mini music store in the short term, we can not stop to wait for Microsoft ""
Microsoft has clearly considered this situation, Bill Gates said directly: "Eric, Microsoft can buy the YOS R & D department of Firefly Electronics, so there will be no problem you said. I guess Firefly Electronics is definitely I intend to follow the development model of Apple's software and hardware integration, but it turns out that this extremely closed mode is simply not feasible."
"I don't really agree with Steve's closed mode of software and hardware integration. However, I also think that the road is all people coming out. If you don't agree, it doesn't mean that this business model can't be successful." Eric said, shaking his head firmly, said: "So, Bill, Firefly Electronics will not stop the development of YOS, and will not sell the YOS system to Microsoft. I hope to continue to cooperate with Microsoft, But this condition is not good, maybe you can consider some other requirements."
"That's the Yahoo browser," Bill Gates stared at Eric's gaze, saying: "Eric, the restrictions in the contract expired next month, and Microsoft can launch its own browsing at any time. Excluding the Yahoo browser from the Windows system."
Eric’s mouth smiled and said:
Bill, what do you mean, as long as I promise to transfer YOS, can Microsoft continue to keep Yahoo’s browser as the default system?

Bill Gates said: "Of course."
Eric continued to ask: "Are you going to give up MSN completely?"
Bill Gates didn't have to be so simple this time, hesitated, and said: "If you re-sign the contract, Yahoo! Browser must be inclined to traffic to MSN."
Eric's spreader: "So, this is another thing, Bill, I know that after five years of technical digesting, Microsoft can immediately launch its own graphical interface browser without any obstacles, but it is technically impossible. Compared with the Yahoo browser, and there are enough anti-monopoly cases in Microsoft, I think you will not be willing to add a browser monopoly. Then, continue to work with Yahoo is the best choice."
Bill Gates finally got a little impatient, saying: "Eric, you have been talking about cooperation, but I only saw the unilateral request of Yahoo, and there is no sincerity in cooperation in your words."
"That's because you have proposed conditions that I can't accept at all, so change one, like Yahoo! Browser, as long as you continue to maintain Windows' default browser status, I can agree to the Yahoo browser's traffic skew on the MSN portal. Yahoo can also pay Microsoft a software pre-installation fee every year. What do you think?"
If the two parties continue to cooperate on the browser side, charging Yahoo for software pre-installation fees is already within Microsoft's consideration.
But now, Eric first proposed it, which turned out to be the cooperation conditions that Yahoo took the initiative.
Bill Gates was more depressed in his heart, and he actually understood that because of the original mistakes, Microsoft was completely in a passive position. Eric did not care about the share subscription contract held by Microsoft, because Yahoo did not suffer whether Microsoft executed it or not. In his view, Microsoft can really take it out as a bargaining chip, which is the Yahoo browser's Windows platform pre-installation permissions.
However, Microsoft has a lot of differences in its continued cooperation with Yahoo. Many executives advocate cutting off all cooperation with Yahoo and launching its own browser to fully support Microsoft's MSN portal business.
Although he has always dominated Microsoft's dominance, Bill Gates' control over the software company is not as strong as it seems.
One of the most obvious features is that Microsoft has now produced very obvious signs of a big company.
The main cause of the ill-heavy, unresponsive, and differentiated interests of large companies is the power struggle within the company. If Bill Gates still maintains absolute control over Microsoft, many of these ills can be avoided. .
"Eric, you have to understand," hesitated for a moment, Bill Gates said again: "Windows is Microsoft's platform. On this platform, how to make rules, Microsoft will always have the final say."
This is already a very obvious threat.
Eric is still not too warm and nodded: "Of course, Bill, of course I understand, so I want to continue to maintain a cooperative relationship with Microsoft."
Bill Gates finally couldn't help but raise his voice: "But you don't have any sincerity to cooperate!"
Eric listened to the sudden explosion of Bill Gates, and frowned slightly at the food in front of him. Although he did not see the spit star flying over, he still had no appetite and put down the tableware. "Bill, we are all Adults, don't you be a child crying on the floor like a toy?"
In fact, there are other firefly system executives who have come to eat in the restaurant. I heard the sudden outbreak of Bill Gates and Eric’s tone like a little child. Although it is as suppressed as possible, some people can’t help but laugh. Come out loud.
Bill Gates’s face suddenly couldn’t be hanged. He also put down the cutlery and his face looked ugly:
Eric, it seems that we don’t have to continue talking.

Eric nodded: "You calm down, why don't we make another appointment tomorrow?"
Bill Gates pumped his mouth and said coldly: "I will return to Seattle in the afternoon. The rest, Microsoft will send someone to communicate with Yahoo."
Eric said very well: "This is fine. Anything can call me at any time. You know my phone number."
Watching Bill Gates go, the Frank Wells, who had been sitting nearby, took a cup of coffee and smiled. "Isn't it going to be smooth?"
Eric looked at the rectangular table in front of him, shouted Amy and asked her to change her lunch again before answering Frank Wells: "Gates is used to it, wanting to use chips that are not enough weight. In exchange for what Microsoft wants, do you think I can promise him?"
As a pity of the ribbed contract, even if Yahoo does not agree to any conditions of Microsoft, the other party will eventually give up more than 90% of the chance to give up.
As for the Yahoo browser, with the user's habits and the advantages of the Yahoo browser itself, unless Microsoft completely bans the software on the Windows platform, even if the status of the Windows default browser is lost, the Yahoo browser can still Easily maintain a long-term market advantage.
In a few years, with the further expansion of Yahoo in the Internet field, the role of Yahoo's browser portal interface will be less important, even now, even now, Yahoo Portal and Google search engine, relying on Yahoo browser Sex is not so strong.
Although he is the president of the Firefly Group, Frank Wells has an understanding of the cooperation between Yahoo and Microsoft. "In this case, will it be very troublesome?"