Microsoft would not rush to merge its technology platform with that of Yahoo after a takeover of the internet company, even if it meant delaying some of the potential benefits to shareholders from any deal, said Microsoft's chief software architect.

"Technology companies, if they dive in and just smash things together for smashing them together's sake, it's reckless. It's just simply reckless," said Ray Ozzie, who took on the company's top software technology role from Bill Gates in 2006.