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Microsoft Buys Ad Firm for $6 Billion
bain writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft has agreed to buy the digital marketing firm Aquantive, in what will be its biggest ever acquisition. The software giant spent almost $6 billion acquiring the agency, in its first bid to tackle the online advertising market. 'The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2008, subject to regulation. Microsoft said the expensive price tag was worth it to access the complementary technology of Aquantive. The firm will continue to operate from Seattle as part of Microsoft's online operations, and will help the software giant broaden the scope of services its MSN consumer internet unit can offer. Microsoft is the latest technology firm to pounce on the shrinking independent online advertising sector.'"
How 'bout microsoft buyout some of that thevinylgroove.com or fishybell.com. I hear that even though they're offline they're worth millions. Millions I say!
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Will have its addresses as the newest addition to my hosts file.
My humor is probably your flamebait
In an attempt to foil Microsoft's plans for internet advertising domination, Google has upped the bidding to eleventy billion dollars, a number which does not even exist. Yet.
Blerg.
I wonder if Microsoft is still going to complain about Google's purchase of Doubleclick....
In fact, all replies to this story should be immediately compared to the comments of Google's purchase. It'll be interesting to see the people that backed Microsoft's position that Google did something evil now commenting on this news.
And people say there's no Microsoft-cult.. Pftt.
Ahh, I see they've decided to innovate some more to compete with Google...
This guy's the limit!
Just so you see that was a bargain for Google to acquire Doubleclick for that amount, and how much Microsoft was yearning for acquiring an advertising company, in order to better compete with Google on other fronts (instead of letting the real battle go to the "software as a service" front).
More MS crap on the internet.
$1/per pair of eyeballs on the planet.
Trolling is a art,
Well I wonder if Google sold it all and jumped off a cliff if M$ would blindly do the same?? What is up with this rampant battle to out do each other?? If Google started making washing machines would M$ follow suit??
Sig?! Sig?! We don't need no stinking sig!!
i wonder what they will do with the avenue a | razorfish media/tech company also included in aquantive's portfolio.
Now I understand what they were doing with your $... that's why they take 150$ for office and windows.
Read and Comment at my BLOG
!!!
What domains do Acquantive ads come from? I need to update certain tables. Thanks.
This strikes me as an expensive (but possibly effective) way to ensure that silverlight-based adverts get shoved in our faces.
The "cue the foo posts in 3, 2, 1..." posts will commence with no subsequent foo posts in 3, 2, 1...
Soon:
MSNBC online running ads from Aquantive for Windows Vista.
Eventually:
MSNBC running ads from Aquantive for XBox720.
MS has been copying or buying anyone else that is considered a leader in the marketplace since day one, if not before that. The only originality (if you can call it that) from MS has been their marketing strategy of forcing the world to buy their software when buying a pc. Had it not been for that kind of originality, MS would have been an also ran long ago... well, it could have happened that way. At this moment in time, Google and a few others have managed to carve out a spot in the marketplace before MS could buy them or run them out of business.
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
As a gesture to welcome the new acquisition, Aquantive received a shipment of new office furniture at their soon to be headquarters in the Microsoft complex. A welcome note from CEO Steve Ballmer was attached to the shipment. Current Aquantive employees were happy about the gesture but questioned why there appeared to be disportionately more chairs than employees. The estimates were a 5 to 1 ratio. In a separate shipment, bolts, bars, and steel plates were also delivered to the offices. An attached, unsigned note read: "You're going to need these for the chairs. Good luck and Godspeed."
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
what do they intend to do with so many cheap eyeballs?
Oh there's a Microsoft-cult. It just consists of those stupid enough to invest in stock that has flatlined for the last 5 years and those silly enough to put all their development experience in one basket. You say anything about Microsoft that they don't like whether it's true or not and they instantly get panicky because you are either A) affecting their stock price or B) might actually be right and they would have to confront the fact that they are one trick ponies as developers (regardless of all the .NET hype).
This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
aQuantive has ~900 million in assets, and a current shareholder equity of ~600 million. Net revenue is the first quarter of this year was ~14 million.
Microsoft is aquiring them for 6 billion? Sounds about as dumb-ass as Google with DoubleClick (what, 31x premium?).
aQuantive stock is now 64.75 *up 27.88*. I missed it.
As a Microsoft shareholder, I don't like this. What a waste of money! I mean, paying 3 billion would be high, but 6 billion?
Just another "Cubible(sic) Joe" 2 17 3061
Why does the phrase "more money than brains" come to mind?...
The capitalization of the company name should be "aQuantive" not "Aquantive."
Bill
It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
Annoying Silverlight ads are only really an issue if you're one of the poor folks still using IE. Those of us running Firefox, Opera, Konqueror, Safari, etc., won't be plagued by the crap which is known as Silverlight.
when they are perfectly capable of doing their own marketing in-house?
Didn't the dot-com bubble burst when firms were buying out firms for ridiculous prices (over a period between 2000-2001)?
I'd like to block them all.
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
now next thing you know they will be having those advert boxes just below the login box.
,, messages from msn / microsoft cannot be put in junk
and special offer notifications popping up during your screensaver
not to mention linking with some telesails.
so whenever you login and start to surf you will get a call
dam will have to pattent that before m$ does , dam prior art in public domain above
what was that deal they where on about for discounted versions for schools that the users
would be compelled to watch advert streams before they could use it
looks like that may be on the way to full price versions
by the way , if using hotmail
wonder if this will be the same for all things owned my microsoft including junk adverts
and no way to block it , then improve there add blocking for all other sites
no wonder they wanted it bad they payed more than dubbel the share price for it
We will copy your every move, we want to be you!! Seriously though, if these were people, Microsoft would be arrested for stalking Google and trying to copy cat every move they make. They are wanting to buy yahoo, which now, looks exactly like google. Microsoft getting desperate.
..Microsoft announces that SSL-by-default is their web browser's solution to phishing.
Privoxy changed the page's contents? Sorry, can't display it, or at least you get a popup every time ("A man in the middle has altered this page, potentially adding malicious code that I desperately want to execute with full admin rights. Do you want to abort the load?")
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
But I think this is a sign of Microsoft Panicing.
IMHO is that since Google bought Doubleclick(Yuk) they have been lookin at getting slice of the Online Advertising Market.
However (Dons invertment managers hat) to pay a premium of 68% over yesterday's close for each shae is just plain crazy.
Ok, I know that there are billions of dollars in cash sitting in the Bank of Microsoft but really...
If I were a Microsoft shareholder (and thankfully, I'm not) I would be looking for some detailed explanations as to why the paid so much over the odds for this business. Its not as if they were in a bidding war (or were they?)
68% is just too heavy a premium to pay.
This has all the signs of panic.
Balmer wants to buy up an Ad company before Google buys them all. but 68%, Really. this is really bad economics and seems like we have returned to the Dot.Com Bubble days.
Google must be laughing their socks off.
I'd rather be riding my '63 Triumph T120.
MS Laundryprotect sees that a user is attempting to load white laundry into the washer. Cancel or allow?
Allow.
MS Laundryprotect is detecting an attempt to infuse the water with a third party product (Cheer Laundry Detergent). Cancel or allow?
Allow.
MS Laundry protect is detecting an attempt to infuse the water with fabric softener. Cancel or allow?
Allow.
I am on the road crew. This is my stop sign.
Moderator smoking too much crack alert. This is a troll not Offtopic. You cannot spell Goatse without the Gates.
Gee, won't it be just grand when hooks are written into MS operating systems to accommodate this advertising source. The computer could actually go looking for the advert! Go ahead, try to block it... oh did your updates stop... unblock 'this'.... yes... it feels like good times coming.
New exit strategy - sell to Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo.
[Insert pithy quote here]
They make Windows look better by giving us something we can hate more?
In fact, all replies to this story should be immediately compared to the comments of Goog^H^H^H^H the Nazies.
See, here's the thing. Real Things are really hard to make. Research, development, testing, certification, more testing, marketing, shipping, storing, selling, and maybe even shipping one more time make for a lot of money invested to not a lot of return, considering all the effort that goes into them. Sure, you might say that Sears makes a lot of Real Things and has a lot of Real Assets and employs a lot of Real People, but at the end of the day, are its profits in line with the amount of money invested to do all this Real Stuff?
For an investor, your ROI in Google is higher (now) than Sears because Google doesn't have as much Real Whatever to build and maintain. Sears does. Are the amounts of money pouring into these databases and websites inflated right now? Yeah, probably. But the returns are at least theoretically there. The same thing happened with railroads and electricity around the turn of the century, but these things are now so legacy and so embedded that they've become nothing but commodities.
The web is essentially the boomtown of the 21st century, like all the other industries (manufacturing or service) that have passed into the sphere of commodity. After information has -- and it will, I think, someday -- become a commodity, we'll find something else to form another speculative bubble around with a high ROI. It's the way of things. Today is no different from yesterday. The numbers just look bigger now.
What is is all that is. Isn't that obvious?
$6 bl. The only company is worth to buy is Google. That is the only ad model that truly works. My essential news see on http://inews.110mb.com/
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp? domain=atdmt.com? domain=bidclix.com
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp
They sell fingers?
-b
myselfmusic
So does this mean that if Google jumps off a cliff Microsoft would do it too?
Is this a good business decision on Microsoft's part? Or are they just trying to keep up with the Jones'?
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
What the hell?
Braxton_Bragg, if I were you I'd check your freaks list and try to figure out which a$$ did it.
This is just another example of some stooge gaming the system.
And if you're new, don't worry about the negative karma. Your history says you'll have it back in a little while. If I had mod points, I'd probably hit both posts with an "+1, underrated"
And modder, pull your head out of your arse before it gets embedded so far that Microshaft starts giving you calls for consultation on rectal-cranial inversions.
> the shrinking independent online advertising sector.
And one of the reasons that its customers were using this agency was because it _was_ independent. I would expect the customers to shuffle off somewhere else now.
You have to wonder how much longer The Chair Thrower is going to have a job ...
Shhh! Just let him keep buying little-known companies for $6B a pop. Heck, I've got one for him...
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Sorta suprised you would need to block an advertising firm just because MS bought them. Would think most ad firms would already be blocked as a matter of course
It's not that - nobody's every heard about these guys - that is until Microsoft ponied up <drevil>six billion dollars</drevil> for them.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Instead of paying for talent, they buy a and advertising company. Does this seem backwards?
okinawa japan
Bill: "Boooohoooohooooo I told DoubleClick I liked her, but she saied she already has a boyfriend... Google... what does he have that I don't have?"
Steve: "Good looks, money, more clicks, he isn't such an assh..."
Bill: "BOOOOOOhUUUUhUUUUhuuuuuu"
Steve: "uh... I mean NOTHING of course! He's just a One-Trick-Pony! and we will dominate the searchengine market soon anyways"
Bill: "Bah, What's the Point??? That's the dumbest fucking idea I've heard since I've been at Microsoft..."
Steve: "Alright, Bill - I have a plan... you need to make her jealous! - you go and date another Ad Firm!... lets see... Oh look, there's Aquantive... she always liked you..."
Bill: "But she's ugly and I don't like her"
Steve: "That doesn't matter - you go out with her and take her to a restaurant, that's double as expensive as the one where Google went with DoubleClick"
Bill: "yeah, that will really make DoubleClick mad! - HEY, AQUANTIVE! CAN I TALK TO YOU FOR A SECOND?"
The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
"...On the other hand I would like to save enough money to die someplace warm when I am old and I don't fancy the idea of going broke a couple of times along the way on the outside chance that I might be in exactly the right place with exactly the right product at exactly the right time to make a killing, but that is just me I suppose."
Unfortunately, playing it 'safe' isn't necessarily either... so you may as well go for it.
I used to have a nice comfortable business, was conservative in its development, just to be safe, but still built it up over 8 years into a respectable concern, carefully planning my course with the idea of eventually translating it into a comfortable retirement sitting on a beach. A combination of events over a period of a little over a year however ended up in my not only closing the doors, but being severely in debt.
Over the next 3-4 years though, as I worked off the debt and re-assembled my life, I discovered that comfortable wasn't comfortable anymore. Part of it was anger that I was starting all over, but largely it was just the realization that conservative really carried no more guarantee than going for it. And going for it brings out a lot of inspiration. I feel much more alive.
I am now a couple of years away from retirement. A few years later than I had planned originally, but better off. I built a new business, and pushed it much harder. Not only is it more successful, but I've had a blast. And I'm looking forward to a much more interesting retirement. Instead of sitting on the beach I'm definitely going to be getting in the water.
Probably the reason MS was pissed at Google buying doubleclick was that they were negotiating with these guys at the time. Buying a company for millions, billions in this case, isn't like buying detergent. This deal was probably in the works for months, if not a year or more. Google buying doubleclick may have driven MS to the price they paid out of competitive necessity. MS has lots of cash, the seller knows it... profit! Google also moving first gave them a kick in the pants in the stock market, MS is likely to get less if a reaction. Whether planned or coincidence, the Google move pushed MS into the situation where they plopped down the sum. Lucky or smart of Google, unfortunate though nowhere near crippling for MS. It's just business. MS has larger cash reserves than some countries, they'll get by and continue to do well. Google is growing and I kick myself for not getting any stock.
Put rather succinctly...
Microsoft to Google: "My pee pee is bigger than your pee pee."
Ahh, I see they've decided to innovate some more to compete with Google...
Do you suppose that the research they did to determine to buy this company is counted in the billions and billions of money that they put into "research" every year?
Quoth Who da'Punk:
you had me at #!
It's Official: Ballmer has lost it:
you had me at #!