Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Google Inc (GOOG): This Company Might Want To Stop This

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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may be a headless ghost at the moment, but it’s not going to shut down its Scroogled website as it seeks out new leadership.

Scroogled was launched ahead of last year’s holiday shopping season to attack the ad-based nature of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)‘s Shopping hub.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s latest target is the nature of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) serving up ads in classroom.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is rolling out the Bing for Schools pilot program, offering grade schools an ad-free search engine at no cost. Now, it’s easy to see why Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is doing this. Despite taking over Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO)‘s paid search business a couple of years ago, the combination of Bing and Bing-powered searches on Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) still accounts for less than a third of all queries. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) still owns this space.

Getting schoolchildren to try Bing at school without ads could sway them to try it at home with ads. Teach ’em young.

It’s not perfect, of course. The search queries may not have sponsored listings, but the same can’t be said for the websites that they will eventually reach. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s AdSense program is the top choice for third-party publishers, so Big G would be getting the last laugh there.

However, Microsoft may want to take it easy on Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) these days because there’s a decent chance that it will poach a Google executive to serve as its new CEO.

It’s hard to argue with history. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google may be fierce enemies, but hiring ex-Googlers paid off handsomely at Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) last year and AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL) before that. Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) shares have roughly doubled since Marissa Mayer took the helm last summer. AOL, Inc. (NYSE:AOL) has also beaten the market since Tim Armstrong’s arrival four years ago.

Sure, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) doesn’t have to be chummy with Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to wrestle away a key hire. In fact, making some noise may be the best way to draw attention. However, even a scorned Google executive may not be cool with joining a company with a website dedicated entirely to bashing Google’s business practices.

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