Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Ballmer set the stage for a new showdown nearly a year after Microsoft's first aborted attempt at a full takeover.
However, he ruled out a full acquisition, despite a collapse in Yahoo's share price that has pushed its market value down to $17bn, less than 40 per cent of the amount that Microsoft offered to pay in a mixture of cash and stock last year.
The best time for a landmark search pact between the companies was during the current management transition at both companies, Mr Ballmer said.
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