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Posted by: Andrew Clouther

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Look, we all made mistakes five years ago that are only recently catching up with us.  The mistakes I’ve made have not cost me $6.2 billion though.  This is where my personal endeavors and Microsoft differ greatly.

Do you remember when Microsoft purchased aQuantive back in ’07?  The plan with this expense was to boost Microsoft’s online adverting revenue.  Google Inc’s purchase of DoubleClick pressured Microsoft to try and find a counter.  Sadly this purchase went terribly wrong. 

The money lost from this gamble is said to have wiped out the profit from the last quarter – ouch.  $6.2 million in no small amount, even for the ‘world’s largest software company.’  Before last year’s purchase of Skype for $8.5 million, aQuantive was Microsoft’s largest purchase.  Microsoft has even publically announced that the aQuantive acquisition is now worthless.

"The acquisition did not accelerate growth to the degree anticipated, contributing to the write-down."

It is rumored that this charge will likely wipe out any profit for the company's fiscal fourth quarter.  The ghosts from 2007 will continue to enervate money from Microsoft for only a bit longer.  This round goes to Google, gg.

[Reuters]

Tags: Microsoft, aQuantive, 2007, Google, DoubleClick