Bartz: A Microsoft Deal Would Save Yahoo About $500 Million

No foul language this time, but at the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch U.S. Technology Conference in New York, Yahoo ( NSDQ: YHOO ) CEO Carol Bartz addressed head-on a possible partnership with Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ). Bartz said such a deal would yield $500 million to $700 million in savings for Yahoo , mostly from cutting data centers and employees. But she reiterated her view that Yahoo doesn't need a Microsoft deal and would only pursue one if the benefits were clear, adding that Yahoo "has a bright future" and would be "cleaner and simpler without a Microsoft connection." Of course, this could just be posturing (what CEO would openly show his/her cards while in talks about a potential partnership?). Other highlights from the session: — Improving revenue-per-user over the next five years: Bartz said she is focused on increasing user engagement and offering ad products that better compete with TV or print ads. In particular, she said Yahoo needs to do a better job being a first stop/gateway on ... (link)