Gamers

Are you game....check out crispygamer.com. Cool site that should provide real feedback on the gaming industry. The President, Chris Heldman, is a good guy...former googler, but don't hold that against him.

Google Buster

I think we have a crack in the code. Not that anybody can beat Google (sorry Microsoft - find a new fight), however, there are ways to more efficiently use SEM, or Search Engine Marketing. Specifically, Collaborative Bundling which reduces the cost for SEM. As an example, Panasonic and Time Warner both value the search term "HDTV". The challenge is understanding the consumers intent - TV or HDTV service. Using the Bridgevine Advertiser Bundling Software (BABS), we have put Panasonic together with Time Warner (and Comcast, Charter at yourhdexperience.com) so that the consumers searching for "HDTV" ends up with greater choice i.e. get info and purchase services from Time Warner OR Panasonic, or even better consumers get a choice to bundle both and save more. The result: much more efficient (less costly) for Time Warner and Panasonic, a much better experience for the customer.

New Board Members

Bridgevine will be happy to announce two new additions to the already impressive Board of Directors. There is definitely an outstanding corporate sense of accomplishent when you receive endorsement of these industry leaders which have experienced so much success........stay tuned.

Bridgevine Launch

Looking forward to the formal launch of Bridgevine.com. This site and the underlying technology will change the way consumers by services leveraging all the virtues of viral marketing. Watch for the announcement on February 27.

Yahoo! Starts Sweetened-Bid Bonanza

The rejection letter from Yahoo! on Monday is a typical first step in a well-tread mating ritual, much like BEA Systems' rejection of Oracle's public takeover offer in October, which was later accepted at a higher price.

Yahoo's board has set the stage for further negotiations by suggesting a price of $40 a share, according to the Wall Street Journal, capping an ultimate settlement in a range starting at Microsoft's $31-a-share bid. The value of that half-cash/half-stock offer has already fallen due to the drop in Microsoft's share price since the bid was announced Feb. 1.

Later Monday, Microsoft responded to Yahoo!'s rejection in a press release, calling it "unfortunate," and saying that "we are confident that moving forward promptly to consummate a transaction is in the best interests of all parties."

The company also held up the not-so-veiled threat of a hostile bid: "Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!'s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal."

The merger has big implications for Safeguard Scientifics, which has equity stakes in smaller Internet properties such as Bridgevine and Beyond.com. The success of these sites is tied directly to the ability of these search engines to convert queries into hits.

Kemmerer views both Microsoft and Yahoo! as potential bidders for the VC firm's startup Internet properties. "I need as many bidders as possible. Take one out, and I lose a potential acquirer," he said.