Microsoft Corp. may still be interested in finalizing a deal with Yahoo but it has not been able to initiate discussions with Carol Bartz, the new chief executive of Yahoo.  

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer again urged call for the two companies to team up on Internet search. He said that he wanted to talk with Carol Bartz with an optimistic attitude to strike a favorable agreement, which he had been unable to formalize with her predecessor. 

Yahoo had rejected Microsoft's endeavors for a search deal last year which thwarted the company’s effort to offer stiff competition to search engine major Google Inc. 

Speaking at Microsoft's annual analyst meeting, Ballmer didn't delve into details about the future plan of action. But he said that he would like to find a way to "pool" resources with Yahoo and "to create more competition" for Google.

Ballmer reiterated that acquiring all of Yahoo isn't his goal. The company bid for $47.5 billion for takeover of Yahoo last year had been rejected. 
However, Yahoo spokeswoman declined to comment on the speculation.