Yahoo and Ebay have announced a new partnership in the competition against Google and Microsoft.

"Under the multiyear partnership announced Thursday, Yahoo and eBay will draw upon each other's strengths in online advertising, payments and communications so they can connect with even more Web surfers than they already do."

"Nearly 113 million people in the United States visited Yahoo or eBay or both destinations in April, according to Nielsen/NetRatings Inc.

Thursday's announcement followed several weeks of rampant Wall Street speculation about the mating dance among the Internet's heavyweights. At one point, there was even talk that Microsoft Corp. wanted to buy Yahoo.

Although it's not expected to have a financial impact until next year, the deal between Yahoo and eBay seems likely to shake up the competitive landscape."