Google Acquires DoubleClick

After weeks of rumors, Google bought the ad firm DoubleClick from San Francisco based private equity form Hellman $ Friedman for $3.1 billion in cash. The deal is the largest acquisition ever made by Google (nearly double the cost of their previous acquisition of YouTube). Microsoft was also involved in the bid war to buy the ad firm, but finally lost to Google. By this acquisition Google lays its hand over DoubleClick’s advertising technology and their vast network of customers. In a press release Google’s Co-Founder, Sergey Brin said:

“It has been our vision to make Internet advertising better – less intrusive, more effective, and more useful. Together with DoubleClick, Google will make the Internet more efficient for end users, advertisers, and publishers”

DoubleClick brings about $300 million/year in revenues. If Microsoft had won DoubleClick over Google, it would have taken them to a better position in the online advertising business. Now with DoubleClick in the hands of Google, it just got harder for the rivals to catch-up.

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