That between the software giant for PC and the most popular social network (and powerful) of the planet, there has long been a close and not limited to the fact that Microsoft is an important action of Facebook is known. 

The partnership has been strengthened gradually over time, since the end of 2007 was made public by investing $ 240 million company in Redmond that California, and close collaboration are born to such services as Docs.com, 

Word processor that allows users of social networks to create and share their contacts with Office documents and synergies related to the search engine Bing, who for some months in the results presented to the user also incorporates the preferences expressed by the network of friendships developed on the social site of Mark Zuckemberg . 

To what Microsoft has been close to buy Facebook, however, has never known anything. Until yesterday. According to what reported by TechCrunch, in fact, Fritz Lanman, senior director and head of strategy and acquisitions of Redmond, has revealed some details (during an event held in Paris) concerning the failure climbing the social network today more than 500 million users worldwide. 

According to the admissions manager Steve Ballmer began three years ago on the plate 15 billion dollars, but Zuckerberg dropped the offer citing the desire to not want to lose control of his creation. In 2007, moreover, was not the only Microsoft to court on Facebook but also the other two major American Internet company, ie, Yahoo and Google. 

The first ended up becoming an ally of search services in Redmond after endless tug-of feared multibillion-dollar acquisition (never realized) that led to the resignation of CEO Jerry Yang Sunnyvale. The second is, of course, now the biggest rival to beat. 

Facebook has instead remained independent and arrived today and where we know Microsoft has had the credit anyway (even though Ballmer did not take well to rejection Zuckerberg) and keep your feet in a society that has become the symbol of the era of Web 2.0 . 

What would happen if the operation had instead gone to the port? Maybe Facebook is not a giant network which instead is and probably will in the future. Or perhaps Microsoft would have more strings to its bow to block us continue to grow as it did. A doubt that (maybe) will upset the night of Steve Ballmer. 

To which would naturally be able to put forward a question: Who is the next objective of prey CEO of Redmond? Maybe that Netflix seems that Microsoft could declare war, rumors reported by Reuters back in late November, launching a pay TV service to offer users of its Xbox Live service?