Two years ago when Microsoft acquired aQuantive--a company that matches up advertisers and online publishers--the tech giant also became the new owner of Razorfish, a digital ad agency.

Reports are now circulating that Microsoft wants to offload that particular asset.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has retained the investment bank Morgan Stanley Co. to represent it in any Razorfish talks.

The approaching two-year anniversary of the $6 billion aQuantive transaction will allow Microsoft to receive more favorable tax treatment for a Razorfish sale, if it can find a willing buyer. A sale also removes any conflict of interest for Microsoft's media business units that court the almighty ad dollar from competing agencies.

July 1, 2009 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments