Microsoft (with a turnover of $51.12 billion in 2007) has offered $44.6 billion for Yahoo! (which had a 2007 turnover of $6.97 billion) to compete with Google ($16.59 billion dollar turnover in 2007) in internet advertising, one year after its first attempt to buy Yahoo! was rejected. According to Microsoft, Google has a 75% share of world internet searches, with 65% in the United States and 85% in Europe. With 500 million visitors, Yahoo! is the world's second largest online advertiser and internet search engine (13% market share). Its 2007 profits, however, are slowing and the company is about to lay off 7% of its staff. On Monday 4 February, Microsoft announced that it controlled 92.6% of the capital of Norwegian internet search engine Fast Search & Transfer and that it was extending its friendly takeover bid until Thursday. 81.6% of Fast Search & Transfer shareholders have indicated that they accepted the offer. It was on 17 January that Microsoft announced this takeover bid for $1.2 billion for Fast Search & Transfer, valuing each share at 19 Norwegian crowns. (I.L.)