The long-rumored breakup between NBC News and Microsoft (MSFT) is now official. On Monday morning, NBC News announced that its parent company NBC Universal (CMCSA) had bought Microsoft’s 50 percent share of Msnbc.com for an undisclosed price (which The New York Times reports to be roughly $300 million) putting an end to a news-and-technology-sharing partnership that dates to 1996.

The move will give NBC News full editorial and business control over Msnbc.com. For now, Msnbc.com will redirect visitors to nbcnews.com. Next year, executives at 30 Rockefeller Plaza will relaunch Msnbc.com as the brand appropriate, opinionated home of its left-leaning cable TV network MSNBC. …

Microsoft announced late July 15 that the company will be rolling out a new version of the portal in the fall. “It will be singularly focused on online consumers, harnessing real-time signals produced by social networks using the power of search to deliver breaking updates based on relevant topics,” reads the announcement. “MSN will utilize advanced technologies to mine real-time information from the web to keep users constantly up to date and in the know on the latest breaking news and trends across the Internet.” Translation: Google News will be getting a new cyborg competitor.