Gates says Internet still a Microsoft goal

Tokyo -- Software giant Microsoft Corp. has ended its pursuit of Internet search engine Yahoo! Inc., company Chairman Bill Gates said in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday.

Gates said the company would pursue "an independent strategy" in its pursuit of a bigger share of the online advertising and Internet business, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Formal talks to purchase Yahoo! ended last weekend, three months after Microsoft bid $44.7 billion for the company.

At a press conference in Tokyo, Gates said Microsoft "will make the advances that give people a great choice there."

In South Korea on Tuesday, Gates said Microsoft was still open to forming partnerships with other Internet companies.

Microsoft owns 1.6 percent of Facebook, the second-largest social network Web site behind MySpace.

Likely candidates for partnerships that would advance Microsoft's Internet presence include Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, News Corp.'s MySpace and LinkedIn Corp., the report said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.