Microsoft announced today that they are interested in acquiring long-time second place search engine Yahoo!, to the tune of $42 billion USD. Yahoo! says that the bid was unsolicited, but they have confirmed that they are seriously considering it.

The BBC reports:

Chairman quit

Yahoo confirmed that it has received an unsolicited offer and said that its board would evaluate the proposal, “carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo’s strategic plans and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders.”

“Ultimately this corporate marriage was forced by the rise of Google, which has grown into a serious competitor for both Microsoft as a software company and Yahoo as an internet portal,” said Tim Weber, business editor of the BBC News website.

“It is a shotgun marriage, but the person holding the shotgun is Google.”