(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-25 22:06

Two years ago, Microsoft and Google vied against each other to buy a 5 percent stake in Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, with Google ultimately prevailing by agreeing to pour $1 billion into the company as part of a wide-ranging advertising partnership.

Microsoft already is delivering online ads to Facebook in the United States as part of an agreement that expires in 2011. Citing unnamed sources, the Journal also reported Microsoft and Facebook are considering extending the current contract and expanding the advertising to other parts of the world.

Already a popular online hangout among teens and adults, Facebook has broadened its appeal during the past year by allowing people of all ages to set up personal profiles on the site and making it easier for other Internet companies to run their applications on its users' pages.

With more than 30 million users, Facebook now ranks as the Web's second most trafficked social network behind News Corp.'s MySpace.com.

Now, it appears some of the biggest names on the Internet are vying for a piece of the action.

Having been rebuffed by Facebook, Yahoo is testing a new social service called "Mash" and recently struck a deal to deliver ads in England and Ireland to the social network Bebo. Meanwhile, the blogosphere is buzzing with speculation that Google plans to introduce new social networking products later this year.

"We're always looking for new ways to help our users connect with each other, share information, and express themselves, but we don't have any new details to share at this time," Google said in a statement provided Monday.

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