14 DAY TRIAL // Google acquired DoubleClick, an important name on the online advertising market, for $3.1 billion and along with the finalization of the transaction, the Mountain View company will also impose a few major changes. One of them is quite bad news for some Googlers because no less than 300 employees will be fired due to the Google-DoubleClick mix. According to PC Pro, a Google official has explained the decision as an "inevitable side effect of a large acquisition." And it was a large acquisition since Google paid that much for a company which also captured the attention of other giants such as Microsoft or Yahoo.
"As with many mergers, this review has resulted in a reduction in headcount at the acquired company. Today, we are laying off some DoubleClick employees in the U.S. and placing others in transitional roles," the Google spokesperson told PC Pro. "This process is ongoing and we have nothing to add at this stage but any decisions will be made in accordance with local law," he added referring to the DoubleClick employees which currently work outside the country.
Moreover, the company plans even more changes, according to a blog post published by Tom Phillips, Director, DoubleClick Integration.
"We plan to integrate the affiliate marketing business into existing Google operations, providing enhanced value and reach for our affiliate advertisers, and additional tools and monetization opportunities for our publishers. Together, we believe that we can continue to grow this business and deliver on the high expectations from partners," he wrote.
In case you didn't know, although it's impossible since it's a famous case, Google has acquired DoubleClick after the European Commission investigated the transaction. The EU officials decided to analyze the terms of the deal after Microsoft, Yahoo and some other companies complained that a potential Google-DoubleClick acquisition would smash the competition and infringe the antitrust laws.