Microsoft wants to buy New York-based online advertising firm DoubleClick, according to the Wall Street Journal.

DoubleClick, which is majority-owned by private equity firm Hellman and Friedman, is said to be exploring options and working closely with Morgan Stanley to secure a possible sale with Microsoft.

But what's in it for Microsoft? Surely the company could find a cheaper way to build or buy some ad-serving software. And paying $2bn to replace Atlas GMT, Microsoft's current ad-serving software of choice, for an inhouse service looks somewhat eccentric.

Which means that Microsoft would be paying a big premium to extend hooks into ad agencies and publishers, giving it some more heft in its struggle against the Google behemoth. ®

Related stories

• Microsoft squares up to Google with $6bn buy (18 May 2007)
• Privacy activists attempt block of Google's purchase of DoubleClick (25 April 2007)
• Web 2.0 Expo Google's Schmidt dismisses DoubleClick envy (17 April 2007)
• Google buys DoubleClick for $3.1bn cash (14 April 2007)
• Google primes DoubleClick bum rush (3 April 2007)
• Google offers banner ads (25 April 2005)
• DoubleClick goes private (25 April 2005)
• Adware-infected PCs net slimeware firms $3 a pop (2 February 2005)