• CNET News.com / The Associated Press , Wednesday, May 7, 2008 11:30 AM

Microsoft executives on Tuesday claimed that the Yahoo debacle is now behind them, indicating that no future bids would be made for the Sunnyvale, Calif. Web giant. "We've withdrawn the (Yahoo) offer and moved on, and now are focused on how we grow as fast as possible organically," said Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, speaking at a Merrill Lynch technology conference.

While "organically" would indicate that Microsoft isn't looking at any major acquisitions, Hall did talk about Time Warner's AOL, admiring its strong position in email and instant messaging in particular. "They certainly have a large customer base today in those markets," Hall said. "At the same time, they don't have an ad platform."

Separately, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Wednesday reiterated that the company wasn't currently looking at any acquisitions. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Gates said the company "put a lot of effort" in the Yahoo talks but ultimately decided that the two should pursue different paths. "Now at this point Microsoft is focused on its independent strategy," he said.

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