WHILE Yahoo is scrambling around looking for chums to save it from the clutches of Microsoft's hostile take over, Volish staff have been told to prepare for Yahoo to be part of Redmond.

In an email to lesser Voles, platform and services division president Kevin Johnson spoke with certainty of the take over process and how it will work.

He said that the transaction will be over by the second half of this year, and integration planning will work in parallel with any regulatory review.

Johnson said that top executives of the major media companies are all rooting for Microsoft so that there will be more competition in search and online advertising.

He did not promise that there wouldn't be job losses however said that Vole wanted to hold on to top talent and absorb people in other parts of its operation.

He pledged that Yahoo people who stay with Vole will get significant rewards and compensation.

However until a deal is cut, Microsoft employees should treat Yahoo workers as rivals, not budding workmates, the email urged. µ

LINQ