Microsoft failed to get Yahoo to increase their online search presence and go head to head with Google. Well, Microsoft move on and acquired Navic networks to extend its ad platform to television.

About Navic:
Navic's technology is transforming television advertising through sophisticated campaign management tools that use real-time audience measurement data to optimize the delivery and placement of targeted interactive media. Navic's closed-loop solutions are designed to ensure continued campaign success across local or vast geographical areas that span multiple MSO divisions and platforms.

In the news:
Buying Navic is also a way to keep pace with Google, which is making a push to enter the estimated $80 billion TV ad market. McAndrews said Navic differs from Google's approach by working directly with cable companies versus satellite services, allowing greater targeting and not forcing broadcasters to use an auction. Project Canoe, which recently recruited Aegis Media Americas CEO David Verklin to head it, is attempting to bring ad targeting to TV through a consortium of cable companies.

"Our ultimate goal is to take the things you can do on the Internet, including targeting and accountability, to television," McAndrews said. "We see TV looking a lot like the Internet.
Source: Adweek.com