The world’s biggest software maker, Microsoft Corp, announced today its proposal to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 in cash and stocks. The surprise offer was timely as Yahoo’s stock slipped to a four-year low earlier this week. The offer represents a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock on Jan. 31, 2008. The convergence would offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers as the market is currently dominated by Google.

MySQL AB, an open source icon and developer of one of the world’s fastest growing open source databases, has agreed to be bought out by Sun Microsystems for $1 billion in cash and options. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in late Q3 or early Q4 of Sun’s fiscal 2008, at which point MySQL AB will be integrated into Sun’s Software, Sales, and Service organizations. Sun will pay a total of $200 million in stock options and $800 million in cash for the company.