Exhibit 99.1
Subject:
Building on our strengths
yahoos —
first off, I want to thank you for the great job you’re doing staying focused on executing our
priorities. there’s obviously been a lot of talk about yahoo! in recent days and we won’t let it
distract us from pursuing our transformation strategy.
roy and I have communicated about the thorough review process our board is going through right now.
the board is focused on maximizing the value of yahoo!’s tremendous assets for our shareholders.
and it is going to take the time it needs to do it right.
as we’ve said, no decisions have been made about microsoft’s proposal. our board is thoughtfully
evaluating a wide range of potential strategic alternatives in what is a complex and evolving
landscape. and we’ve hired top advisors to assist through the process.
what’s become clear in the past few days is how much people care about this company. we’ve seen a
strong show of support from our users, advertisers, and publishers, reminding us how much they love
our products and services. and i’ve heard from many of you — and from other friends and colleagues
from around silicon valley and across the globe — that we need to do what’s best for yahoo! and
our shareholders. i promise you that the board is going to do that.
the microsoft interest highlights the tremendous strength of the yahoo! brand and assets: our half
billion users around the world, our leading products and services, our open ad network, our
technology, and most of all, our amazingly talented people.
we have a lot to be excited about and there’s more good news to come. yesterday we announced a
digital music partnership with rhapsody and our acquisition of foxytunes, maker of the popular
music toolbar plugin. today we launched zimbra 5.0, a next generation e-mail and collaboration
suite that’s a great milestone in our open platform and starting point strategies. and stay tuned
for exciting announcements next week at the mobile world congress.
as we look to build on the progress we’ve been making, i want to make sure you all realize how
essential you are to yahoo!’s success. as this process moves forward, we’re going to keep you
informed. your hard work and strong commitment are more important now than ever before.
jerry