Google wasted no time in taking control of DoubleClick after the European Union gave the thumbs up Tuesday. (The U.S. gave its ok in December.) The deal is valued at $3.1 billion.
The point of regulatory investigation is then, what exactly? Regulators hold their breaths, then smile, chuck the company on the shoulder and say, “Just kidding — of course we’ll say yes!”
The EU seems to think that Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL are competitors enough for Google and isn’t concerned with the privacy issues that a Google/DoubClick combo poses. That’s bad for consumers but good for Google shareholders. Google shares jumped on the news to $429.78 (up about $16)
In the meantime, Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo is still hanging out there, waiting for Yahoo’s board to come to its senses, or for Microsoft to engage in its first hostile takeover. In this case, Microsoft is the underdog and its success against Google in the ad arena might be the best thing for the market. Still, Microsoft has to learn how to be more creative, and less me-too, if it wants to beat Google at its own game.
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