The acquisition of aQuantive will give Microsoft a boost in metrics and prepare them for the future of advertising, according to Martin Laetsch, senior director of search strategy at SEMDirector, in an email correspondence.
Laetsch calls Microsoft's acquisition a reaction to the Google/Doubleclick deal, and the reason they didn't bid on 24/7 Real Media.

aQuantive's digital marketing technology Atlas will allow Microsoft to compete directly with Doubleclick's software platform. It will also give Microsoft a big boost in the metrics department, lending Ad Center clients insight on which ads and keywords are most profitable.

However, the deal will probably not help Microsoft compete anymore strongly in the search ad realm. Laetsch says Microsoft will likely continue to seek an appropriate merger toward that end.

The inclusion of Avenue A | Razorfish, one of America's largest interactive ad agencies, under the Microsoft moniker will certainly "put MS in the position of both buying and selling online ads."

It also prepares the company for the next era of advertising, which includes media like video-on-demand and IPTV, and will ultimately benefit Microsoft's quest for cross-media integration.