Microsoft to buy part of Facebook?

Thanks to Steve Clayton for the link on Twitter. I’ve always said that Facebook isn’t a social network like Bebo or MySpace. Facebook is more of a platform/technology which we use to connect with people we know within our network. We can then build communities using our social network.
SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp. is in talks with Facebook Inc. about making an investment in the social-networking startup that could value Facebook at $10 billion or more, according to people familiar with the matter.
The talks set up another likely face-off between tech titans: Google Inc. has also expressed strong interest in a possible Facebook investment, said people familiar with the matter.
This is a brilliant opportunity for Facebook to expand it’s application development by taking advantage of Microsoft’s already huge partner network. Microsoft’s partners could also provide additional technology-savvy applications to help improve the overall functionality of Facebook within a short space of time.
So, it makes perfect sense for Microsoft to want to own part of Operating System 2.0, which also has Google on it’s toes! It also makes sense for Facebook to share a piece of the pie with Microsoft, in return for extra ad revenue and accelerated application/core platform development.
Read the original article on the Wall Street Journal Web site.
Could it be true? Does it make sense?
2 Responses to “Microsoft to buy part of Facebook?”
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I looked at it from the other point of view – Microsoft has just bought itself 250 million quids-worth of research information to help it create the killer ad-serving system it has never had on the most important social network site going!
You’re absolutely right Paul.