Microsoft buys TV ad firm Navic

Microsoft said Tuesday that it has acquired Navic Networks, which provides TV ad technologies.

Navic, based in Waltham, Mass., has technology that manages campaigns, optimizes placement and delivers ads via interactive TV. In a nutshell, the acquisition of Navic gives Microsoft the ability to bundle ads offline and online.

With Navic, Microsoft is moving toward providing an advertising bundle so customers can maximize yield (statement). Google has gone down this path for years pursuing everything from TV to radio to print ads. The results so far have been inconclusive.

Navic will become a subsidiary of Microsoft and reside in the software giant's advertiser and publisher solutions unit, which includes Atlas and other properties from the aQuantive purchase last year.