So now a Microsoft-owned company is going to be doing bid management for campaigns on their competitors' networks?

almost 80% premium! Can someone send MSFT my way: I have nothing of value, but then, I don't need $6 billion :)

So do ya go with DoubleClick or Atlas for an ad server now? If DoubleClick was to expensive at 3.1B, how is Atlas a deal at 6B? Maybe the revenue from the agency unit makes it more financially attractive.

I see Microsoft and Yahoo competing against Adword and ADsense

Doubleclick got bought for 15x revenue. Not profit but revenue...that's insane. And now this latest move to buy AQNT for $6B. Wow.

And now Microsoft also owns a company that does SEO/SEM (Avenue A Razorfish). Google bought an SEO/SEM firm (Performics) with the acquisition of Doubleclick.

how it come these big companies buying such unknown companies for such a high prices!

will they buy my company? i gonna sell for 100.000$

Hey I have ppc management software, I'll even sell it for only $1 billion. Bill Gates if you are reading this send me a pm.

>> how it come these big companies buying such unknown companies for such a high prices!

Which of these companies are you considering "unknown"? DoubleClick, Avenue A ¦ Razorfish and Atlas are giants in their industries.

They all survived the dotcom crash too, so their management is fairly wise and got the scars to prove it.

1 Billion? Come on Bidvertiser only wants 1 million

maybe this will help improve the adCenter interface... or some other free offerings from MS similar to Analytics from Google...

Both DoubleClick and aQuantive were bought for the opportunity they give to Google and Microsoft. So you can't value these deals by looking at the price to earnings ratios. They are both the necessary expenses needed to keep in the game.

A lot will depend on the corporate cultures of all the companies involved and how well they can meld together.

I suspect that neither DoubleClick or aQuantive will do real well in the short term with their new owners. There will be some blood spilled, egos hurt and some executives will leave before either acquistion settles down in the new culture.

maybe this will help improve the adCenter interface

That isn't likely to happen as a result of this deal. Ever see the Atlas search interface or functionality? Hasn't really changed since it was GoToast & designed to integrate with a straight auction based PPC model born by GoTo.com back in 97 or so.

When you have tons of money, you tend to lose your perspective on its value.

An affliction, unfortunately, that I don't have!

All this reaction craziness reminds me of when Register.com bought afternic following NetSol's purchase of greatdomains. Price: $48.6 million in stock and cash... Problem: seeing competition, not value.

p/g

How much money can Steve possibly keep throwing down the toilet until it gets clogged?

expanding your own ad distribution channels by buying up shady ones, is never wise. because we can opt out of things once they're integrated, the truth of their worth will come out... about $6B too late...

[cdt.org...]

The Avenue A /Razorfish division will give MSN a feedback channel for existing products, new products, and their competitor's products that should prove to be invaluable.

JL