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Microsoft Sells Razorfish (Remember Them?)
Razorfish, one of the most famous (or infamous...) digital media brands from the dot-com era, has a new owner. Microsoft has sold the digital advertising agency to Publicis Group SA for $530 million in cash and treasury shares, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The VAR Guy
August 10, 2009
1 Min Read
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Razorfish, one of the most famous (or infamous…) digital media brands from the dot-com era, has a new owner. Microsoft has sold the digital advertising agency to Publicis Group SA for $530 million in cash and treasury shares, according to The Wall Street Journal.Forgive The VAR Guy as he waxes poetic, recalling the high-flying days of IXL, Razorfish, Sapient, Scient, Viant and other so-called digital integrators from the dot-com era.
Razorfish‘s valuation reached $5.5 billion at the height of the 2000 bubble, falling all the way to $8.2 million in a 2002 fire sale, according to ValleyWag. Microsoft picked up Razorfish’s assets as part of the aQuantive acquisition in 2007.
Former Razorfish CEO Jaffrey Dachis has long since moved on. According to his LinkedIn profile, Dachis is running a stealth-mode startup focusing on enterprise social software and services. Hmmm… um… Social media: Sounds hot. The VAR Guy will need to check that out…
During much of the dot-com era, high-tech trade publications (including a few The VAR Guy allegedly edited…) labeled Razorfish as a next-generation solutions provider. A hybrid consulting firm, integrator, trusted advisor… and the list goes on. Fast forward to the present, and Microsoft simply positioned Razorfish as a digital media advertising agency.
Ahah! It only took a decade, but The VAR Guy finally understands what Razorfish does for a living.
Apparently, so does Publicis Group.
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