Advert tracking technology worth $2bn
vnunet.com, 29 Mar 2007
Microsoft is reported to be in talks to acquire internet advertising company DoubleClick at a cost of $2bn.
A buyout would provide Microsoft with access to DoubleClick's Dart technology, which monitors how internet adverts perform, and boost its ability to fight Google for online advertising market share.
DoubleClick is currently wholly owned by private-equity company Hellman & Friedman LLC, which recently had the unit valued as part of a possible stock market listing.
However, the advertising company could be sold outright to a bidder, with Microsoft and a number of other parties currently in the running, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A sale at $2bn would make Hellman & Friedman LLC a profit of $0.9bn since it bought DoubleClick in 2005.
DoubleClick's sales last year were quoted by unnamed sources in the paper to be just $150m.
Customer information is key, say analysts
New advertising software expected to help Yahoo regain lost ground
First Looks Editor Ian Williams gets hands on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
NetGear's four-bay compact network-attached storage gets a serious speed boost
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article