Report: Yahoo Major Overhaul Appears Unlikely
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A major overhaul at Yahoo Inc (YHOO) appears unlikely as a result of a strategic review being undertaken by the company, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition, citing people familiar with the matter.
New Chief Executive Jerry Yang said in July he would deliver a new strategic plan for the company within 100 days to help the company respond to rapid changes in consumer behavior on the Web and competition from rival Google Inc (GOOG).
Yang has internally played down the significance of the 100-day timeline and no big strategic announcements are planned at the end of that period next month, the Journal reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Top executives have discussed outsourcing search-advertising activity to either Google or Microsoft Corp (MSFT), but any discussion of outsourcing search ads has now cooled, the report said.
The company plans to move staff around and freeze some positions, but significant layoffs are not expected, the report said.
The Yahoo Music service is among those expected to be trimmed and its fee-based subscription music offering overhauled or shuttered, the report said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a statement to the Journal, a spokeswoman said: "Jerry Yang and Sue Decker are committed to making significant changes to the way Yahoo operates, and to sharpening its focus on key initiatives that will enable the company to improve its performance and strengthen its position as the most open, vibrant online marketplace for consumers, advertisers and publishers." Susan Decker is Yahoo's president.
Yahoo spokespeople could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment.