Facebook Inc (FB) And Microsoft In Talks For An Advertising Deal

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Facebook Inc (FB) And Microsoft In Talks For An Advertising Deal

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is seriously considering a purchase of the Atlas Advertising platform, owned by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), as the social networking giant aims improve its advertising capabilities and increase its competitiveness against Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s DoubleClick offerings.

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is in discussion with the management of the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) regarding the possible acquisition, and it is conducting due diligence on the Atlas Advertising platform, according to the report from AllThings D, citing unnamed sources.

According to the unidentified sources, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) could face some technology related issues if it acquires the Atlas Advertising platform, but they think it is a better option for the social networking giant than developing an ad platform from scratch. The sources said the Atlas Advertising platform is already generating billions of ad impressions per day.

The Atlas Advertising platform was included when Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) acquired aQuantive, an internet advertising firm for $6.3 billion in 2007. Microsoft wrote down its acquisition expenditures on aQuantive after the company’s online unit failed to achieve its anticipated growth rate. Over the past 9 years, the software giant’s online unit lost $8.5 billion.

According to reports, Microsoft had been quietly marketing the Atlas Advertising solution for a while and several companies showed interest in buying the platform, including Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) and AppNexus, an advertising company located in New York.

Sources believed, the value of the Atlas Advertising solution would be lower than its original price, but they expect Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) to develop a complex advertising agreement with the social networking giant.

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