DoubleClick finds a home at Google

That was quick -- shortly after rumors started circulating about Google's involvement in discussions to purchase DoubleClick, they are currently announcing, via conference call, that they have purchased DoubleClick for $3.1 billion.

This is a serious blow to Microsoft who was also bidding -- the Journal thought that Microsoft was "likely to win" if the bidding exceeded the $2 billion mark.  Besides, Google isn't much interested in DoubleClick:

Van Boskirk predicted that in the end, Microsoft would wind up the victor in the DoubleClick sweepstakes. "I don't think that Google is actually all that interested in Doubleclick," she said. "They've got the same general goals as Microsoft in terms of the services they want to be able to offer, but the culture at Google is much more strongly oriented toward developing and implementing their own technology."

"I talked to some people at DoubleClick yesterday," van Boskirk added, "and they're moving more aggressively on some product launches than they were planning to do. I'm not sure if that's related to the proposed sale, but I do think it will be soon, because the timing seems so good."

It is clear, Google is in it to win -- move over Microsoft.

[Thanks Nate!]