Microsoft has published a copy of an 1,800-word memo sent to all staff yesterday by Kevin Johnson, president of the firm's platform and services division, apparently designed to get Yahoo on side and move away from the possibility of a proxy fight for Yahoo's board.
In it, Johnson reassures staff that any merger would not mean big job losses at either firm, and tries to convince readers that the two corporate cultures are compatible. He also goes into considerable detail about the benefits of a merger that, if it happens, would complete in the second half of next year.
"It's important that Microsoft employees not speculate with Yahoo! employees about the proposal or about what a deal would mean for the combined company. Prior to close of the transaction, no Microsoft employee should reach out to Yahoo! employees for the purpose of integration planning unless specifically instructed to do so by the integration team and its LCA advisors."
