Microsoft to Buy Digital-Ad Firm aQuantive for $6B
Software Giant: Deal Aimed at Enhancing MSN Portal
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 5/18/2007 12:43:00 PM
Microsoft agreed to buy online-advertising firm aQuantive for $6 billion in cash -- the software giant’s largest acquisition ever -- primarily to enhance the marketing capabilities of its MSN portal.
The deal -- which represented an 85% premium over aQuantive’s previous closing share price -- brings Microsoft a large interactive-advertising-agency business, AvenueA/Razorfish. In addition, Microsoft will pick up aQuantive’s Atlas subsidiary, which sells ad-management systems to cable operators, advertising agencies and media companies.
Microsoft’s announcement comes after Google said last month that it would spend $3.1 billion to buy online-advertising firm DoubleClick. Microsoft reportedly had been in negotiations to acquire DoubleClick.
Founded in 1997, aQuantive has about 2,600 employees. The company reported sales of $442.2 million and net profit of $54 million for 2006.
Microsoft said aQuantive will continue to operate from its Seattle headquarters as part of Microsoft's Online Services Business.
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