Is the Yahoo deal a good one for you?

In a headline "Yahoo deal could be bad for the minnows," The New York Times on Sunday aptly pointed out the downside of one of the biggest tech proposals to emerge in a long time. And it raised the issue that just because Microsoft is trying to gobble up Yahoo for a cool $44.6 billion [1], doesn't mean that it's necessarily a good thing.

Yet the Microsoft move sent shock waves through the tech world. And we're not sure yet what it would mean for the CIO who uses Microsoft products. Does it mean cheaper prices or better service? Will it get rid of annoyances involved with using Microsoft products like Vista? And is it better for the customer that a giant merges with a smaller one? Is it better working with the little guys or being chained to the big one? And are you willing to pay the price as Microsoft strives to compete with Google?

As The New York Times points out, sometimes the best products come from the smallest places, the little start-up just getting its feet on the ground who foresees a way to make customers happy at a price that is right. "From a start-up and investor perspective, if there are more companies trying to vie for the same businesses, there are more exits," said Bismarck Lepe, a former Google employee and now chief executive of Ooyala, a year-old video host and advertising company. "It's not great for competition if there are only two acquisition targets instead of three."

And that points out a clear business issue for CIOs. Are you happy with the name brand or would you like to try something new, something cheaper, more innovative and cutting edge? We'd like to hear what your thoughts are on this subject, especially how you plan to maneuver your own strategy if this deal is consummated.

For more on this mega merger proposal:
- See The New York Times article [2]