Atlas Unshrugged? Facebook Inc. (FB), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

Big Data is adding to its hunger. Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) – which whets the investment appetite of nearly 15 percent of equity hedge funds on our radar – is one of the kings of Big Data compilation of information about users, advertisers, partners and their own internal audiences, along with Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), which use their treasure trove of information to improve effectiveness of their advertising platforms. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has a tracking tool that can split hairs on advertising and can determine the true effectiveness of certain advertising and whether credit can go to the platform or to the ad itself.

Having that analytical specificity can be useful for Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) and for Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). Which is why Facebook  is not looking to partner with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) for the use of Atlas Solutions – it’s looking to add the division to its stable. This has been rumored and speculated for a few months, but reports are that this acquisition is due to be announced officially Thursday.

There is no word being leaked about the details of the deal, but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will sell is Atlas Solutions division to Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB). While there is a debate about why Facebook wants this asset and what it plans to do with it, Atlas Solutions is described as a “funnel” software service that can help advertisers determine the effectiveness of the Facebook ad platform to figure out specifically whether an ad merely collects information like an e-mail address or closes a purchase.

“Through Atlas’s Click Purchase Path Analysis, [advertisers] can glean insights into where Facebook advertising dwells as an introducer, influencer, or closer across each unique click path, essentially creating a virtual representation of the digital conversion funnel,” wrote Sanjay Vasdev of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in a blog post. “Accurate measurement will help draw conclusions on the quality of audiences delivered at scale. Marketers will be better informed on the synergistic aspects of Facebook advertising, gain better understanding of its reach and overlap, and aid the movement of marketing budgets to appropriate sources.”

What do you think of this impending deal? Do you have a theory as to why Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) would ant this segment of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)? Do you think this has a chance to improve Facebook’s ad revenue numbers to offset the purchase price, whatever it is? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

DISCLOSURE: I own no positions in any stock mentioned.

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