Microsoft acquires online marketing agency

It has been announced today by Microsoft that they have successfully bought out the online marketing agency aQuantive.

The deal - worth $6.5 billion (£3.2 billion) - came after Microsoft proposed the bid in May this year.

It is thought the acquisition will take Microsoft one step closer in its aim of becoming a top-performing internet advertising platform.

President of Microsoft's platforms and services division Kevin Johnson commented on the expansion of the company and its strategy for the future.

"Today we take a significant step forward in our ability to capture share of the $40 billion online ad opportunity and the larger $600 billion ad market, which is rapidly shifting to the world of online and IP-served platforms," he said.

He added that Microsoft has plans to increase its advertising interests to become one of the top two online advert companies.

This latest takeover will create a new advertiser and publisher solutions group and follows a series of similar acquisitions by the firm. Massive, a game advertising business and ScreenTonic, a mobile ad organisation, have previously been taken over by Microsoft.

Changes in user data retention were announced by Microsoft recently in a shake-up of its privacy policy following a similar change by Google.

© Adfero Ltd

14 Aug 2007 14:49:38 (Source: Adfero)