Facebook Inc (FB) To Announce Microsoft’s Atlas Deal Today [REPORT]

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is finally set to announce it’s much awaited and often rumored acquisition of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Atlas Solutions today, according to the two sources familiar with the matter.Ad Age, earlier this month, reported that the deal was almost done. There are possibilities of delay, like other announcements, but both parties are reportedly looking forward to announce the deal today.

“Through Atlas’s Click Purchase Path Analysis, [advertisers] can glean insights into where Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) advertising dwells as an introducer, influencer, or closer across each unique click path, essentially creating a virtual representation of the digital conversion funnel,” read the blog post, written by Sanjay Vasdev, a senior market analyst at Microsoft, according to LinkedIn.

Mr. Vasdev, by his statement, tried to establish that an analytic tool of Atlas allows advertisers to track the effect of Facebook ads on conversions-whether it is submitting an email address to a marketer or doing an online purchase. Overall, Atlas  has tools, which are capable of providing an insight into the kind of credit Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) should get for a given ad.

Vasdev further mentioned in his post that with the use of Atlas, advertisers can get to know the percentage of web users it’s reaching with a web wide ad campaign which are found only on facebook.

“Accurate measurement will help draw conclusions on the quality of audiences delivered at scale,” the post reads. “Marketers will be better informed on the synergistic aspects of Facebook advertising, gain better understanding of its reach and overlap, and aid the movement of marketing budgets to appropriate sources.”

In 2012, Atlas gave access of these tools to all advertisers to measure Facebook ads in 2012, and probably Facebook will provide these tools to all Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) advertisers when the deal is finally closed.

There was no comment from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) spokespersons.

Atlas has described the offering on its home page as follows:

“Alongside our core technology, we offer a myriad of solutions as an extensible platform for your loftiest marketing ambitions: from our robust audience activation leveraging Microsoft Audience Intelligence data, our API suite to connect to your systems, unparalleled data and analytics offerings, and deep partnerships with the tools and platforms that matter most to you. The Atlas Advertiser Suite offers the flexibility, choice, scale, and breadth to ensure you’re staying on top of all your digital efforts in an ever-evolving industry.”

In 2007, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) acquired Atlas while acquiring aQuantive in a $6 billion deal. The Windows maker wrote down majority of the acquisition cost last July. The Software giant has been reportedly looking to offload Atlas. There were reports that the company was in talks with AppNexus, a New York-based ad company, last year.