Yahoo and Microsoft have finalized their agreement to install Microsoft as the exclusive search provider for Yahoo’s network of sites, the companies announced Friday.

The deal, first reached in July, still needs to be approved by the U.S. government before it becomes final. But the companies said in October that they needed more time to complete the deal due to the “complex nature of this transaction,” and Friday’s announcement is likely the result of hundreds of hours of painstaking review from expensive lawyers.

At least company executives didn’t have to rack up the frequent-flier miles to finalize this year; they signed it virtually, with Microsoft’s Qi Lu and Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz representing their respective companies on the licensing agreement and Ballmer and Bartz inking the definitive agreement, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will provide search technology to Yahoo for up to 10 years, also gaining access to Yahoo’s search technology assets and several hundred employees. It will then pay Yahoo a significant portion of the ad revenue generated alongside those searches.

A Yahoo representative declined to comment on the specifics of what held up the final approval of the deal. Both parties said they still expect the deal to become final in early 2010, although the government is sure to take a long hard look.

via CNET

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They changed the lexicon for the word, search. Now the phrase “I’ll just Google it” has helped make the internet search giant become world’s first $100 billion brand beating other household names like Microsoft, and Coca Cola to McDonald’s.

The top 10 list is as follows:

Google

Rank 1

Company: Google

Value: $101.4 billion

Microsoft

Rank 2

Company: Microsoft

Value: $77.3 billion

Coca Cola

Rank 3

Company: Coca Cola

Value: $68.5 billion

IBM

Rank 4

Company: IBM

Value: $67.5 billion

McDonald’s

Rank 5

Cmpany: McDonald’s

Value: $67.3 billion

Apple Inc

Rank 6

Company: Apple Inc

Value: $63.9 billion

China Mobile

Rank 7

Company: China Mobile

Value: $62.2 billion

GE

Rank 8

Company: Energy major GE

Value: $59.9 billion

Vodafone

Rank 9

Company: Vodafone

Vaule: $50.2 billion

Marlboro

Rank 10

Company: Marlboro

Value: 50.1 billion

Courtesy: IANS

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