Back in 2007, Microsoft (MSFT) paid $6 billion for a company called aQuantive, which was supposed to make it big in the internet search advertising game alongside Google (GOOG). But now Microsoft is writing off that failed attempt with a $6.2 billion charge.
This failing hasn’t hurt other parts of Microsoft’s online ad business, says the New York Times. The internet division is anchored by Bing, which the Times says has grown. That seems hard to believe considering that “Google” is an accepted verb while if you type “Bing” into flickr, you'll pull up pictures of Bing cherries.
But if the dictionary is a way to see what technology is being adopted, Microsoft can take heart because lots of people “Skype” each other on a regular basis. That acquisition may be going better: Microsoft bought Skype last year for $8.5 billion.
