Microsoft Will Buy Maker of Sidekick

After Yahoo! rebuff, Redmond giant scoops up Danger
By Zach Samalin,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 11, 2008 7:56 PM CST
Microsoft Will Buy Maker of Sidekick
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, reacts during Tech.Ed, a technology conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)   (Associated Press)

Microsoft is poised to buy Danger, the maker of the T-Mobile Sidekick, in a move that follows on the heels of Yahoo's rebuff of the software behemoth's $44 billion buyout offer. Microsoft hasn't said how much it's forking over, but called Danger the "perfect complement to our existing software and services," CNET reports. Danger's founder now runs the Android mobile project for Microsoft competitor Google.

The deal "strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like," Microsoft said. One foreseeable roadblock is that Danger has its own operating system, competing with Windows Mobile. Danger also generates revenue with monthly service fees, whereas Microsoft licenses its OS out to phone makers. But Microsoft remains confident it will find its new partner compatible on both business and software fronts. (More Microsoft stories.)

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