According to CNet, this marked the first time Microsoft acquired shares of a Japanese company. But apparently, this is not the first time Microsoft and OKWave announced partnership.
Microsoft and OKWave will work together to integrate OKWave's Q&A content with Microsoft's Live search. This, I think, is a smart move (if done right): Anyone who's kept an eye on the success trajectory of Korea's Naver would testify that "search + Q&A + contextual ads = killer combination and lots of revenue".
Here's my previous post about Asia's online Q&A services.
.png)
