From: "John Beamish" 

Outbid MS and Yahoo and AOL?

Lots of stories.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/04/13/doubleclick.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ax5oyWQ3z3Ws&refer=home
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/technology/14DoubleClick.html?em&ex=117660960
0&en2569e12b24e42e&eiP87%0A
http://news.com.com/Google+buys+ad+firm+DoubleClick+for+3.1+billion/2100-1024_3
-6176079.html

In its largest acquisition yet, Google has agreed to pay $3.1 billion in
cash for online ad company DoubleClick, the companies announced Friday.

The deal gives Google a large network of advertisers and Web publishers to
serve and sell ads to, and it boosts the search giant's banner advertising
business, which lagged rival Yahoo's. What's new:

Google has agreed to pay $3.1 billion cash for online advertising company
DoubleClick. The deal is expected to close sometime later this year. Bottom
line:

With its purchase, Google is strengthening its grip on the online
advertising market and appears to have again out-maneuvered competitors
such as Yahoo and Microsoft.

"The most compelling argument (for the deal) is it is accelerating our
display advertising business," Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt
said on a conference call with reporters and analysts. "I'm calling
from Argentina where Google is opening its latest sales and support
office...I was so excited about this."

The acquisition, which is expected to close sometime later this year, also
will give media agencies and advertisers the ability to manage integrated
search and display ad campaigns through one centralized console, Schmidt
said. "The whole system will run faster," he said. "Users
will benefit
 from more targeted ads."

Google is buying DoubleClick from San Francisco-based private equity firm
Hellman & Friedman, which acquired DoubleClick two years ago for $1.1
billion, and JMI Equity and Management. The deal is subject to regulatory
approval. David Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development at
Google, said he was confident antitrust and other regulators would approve
the agreement.

The announcement puts to rest rumors reported by The Wall Street Journal of
a heated bidding war over DoubleClick between Google, Microsoft and even
Yahoo and AOL. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company had no comment on
those reports.

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