Report: Microsoft sells piece of the former aQuantive for $20 mil. |
Register here for our next TechFlash Live networking event, March 23, featuring an expert panel discussing the future of online advertising.
Report: Microsoft sells piece of the former aQuantive for $20 mil.
Microsoft has sold Franchise Gator to Landmark Interactive for about $20 million, according to a report today on PaidContent.org. The business, which markets business franchise opportunities, was acquired by aQuantive in May 2006, for about $21.5 million. That was prior to Microsoft's $6 billion acquisition of aQuantive.
The news is interesting in part because of the speculation that has swirled around the Razorfish advertising agency, also picked up by Microsoft in the aQuantive purchase. Razorfish has long been seen as an odd fit inside Microsoft. As small as the Franchise Gator deal is, relatively speaking, it could be a sign that Microsoft is prepared to deal if the right opportunity comes along.
PaidContent's Rafat Ali notes that Franchise Gator is a good fit for Landmark, which already has similar businesses.
We've asked Microsoft for comment, and confirmation, and we'll update this post depending on the response.
Update, 5 p.m.: Microsoft confirmed the sale but didn't comment on price or other details.
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
READ FULL BIOGRAPHYRecent Sponsor Posts
Seattle University Software Engineering
Chinwe Okeke (MSE’08) pursued her graduate degree while working as a developer and technical analyst for the Boeing Company. She picked the SU-MSE program for small class sizes and real world learning opportunities offered through the academic service-learning and capstone projects.
The MSE program at Seattle University is geared for working professionals with classes offered in the evenings. The program builds upon the computing experience of its students and offers courses in a variety of technical and management areas of software engineering, with an emphasis on teamwork and a disciplined approach to problem solving.
Marchex is one of Seattle’s largest ad technology companies with 300+ employees providing call and click based performance marketing products, and managing over $100m in ad budget for tens of thousands of advertisers. Our customers range from local businesses to the Fortune 500.
Our talented and creative product engineering group is hiring.
If you are an innovative software design engineer interested in solving difficult problems at scale, across a wide array of technologies from Lucene to Hadoop to Asterisk and SIP then we’d love to hear from you!
Apply now.
Technology Tax Planning – Did You Take The Deduction?
Technology companies require professional advisors who can assist in all aspects of the business. The BDO Technology Practice provides a full range of services tailored to help address the changing needs of domestic and international companies. In addition to core audit and tax services, BDO professionals can assist technology companies with:
· Revenue recognition
· Business combination accounting
· R&D tax credits
· Compensation and benefits
· Business valuations
Backed by 38 national offices and an international network in 110 countries, we have the domestic and global footprint to serve growing technology companies. Contact sphilpott@bdo.com (audit partner), mreeves@bdo.com (audit partner), psmith@bdo.com (tax partner), tzambito@bdovaluation.us.com (valuation), tfiscus@bdo.com, Director, 206.624.2020
Job Listings
- LEAD SDET, Mobile Device Strategy and Commercialization - 705105
- Microsoft Corporation
- Sr. SDE - 712257
- Microsoft Corporation
- Principal SDE - Software Development Engineer - External - 704722
- Microsoft Corporation
- Software Development Engineer - Display Advertising
- Business Services Company
- Principal IT / OPS Program Mgr - 711209
- Microsoft Corporation
