FTC Takes Closer Look At Google’s AdMob Deal

The "Facts about Google's acquisition of AdMob" page Google established in November of last year apparently hasn't satisfied the Federal Trade Commission's curiosity.  A fresh report indicates that the FTC has stepped up its investigation of the deal by seeking sworn declarations from third parties.

This isn't a good sign for Google.  Todd Shields and Dina Bass heard about the FTC's move from "people with direct knowledge of the matter," so the affair appears to have developed beyond rumor stage.

Also, after talking to Stephen Calkins, a professor of law who used to serve as General Counsel of the FTC, Shields and Bass reported that the FTC tends to seek declarations "'when they think there is some significant chance' the agency will ask a court to block a merger, or seek to modify a deal."

Google's been running into more and more antitrust trouble as of late.  From the problems with its book digitization project to a European Commission probe, the search giant's been held up on several fronts.  It wouldn't be surprising if something - such as this AdMob deal - becomes a breaking point.

Still, asking for sworn declarations isn't the same thing as strongly objecting.  It remains possible the FTC will give Google's acquisition of AdMob a green light.

European Commission Turns Magnifying Glass On Google

Google may soon find it necessary to send another plane full of lawyers across the Atlantic.  European regulators have decided to take a closer look at the company's business practices in response to three separate antitrust complaints.

Foundem, a price comparison site based in the UK, and eJustice, a French legal search engine, claim Google's hit them with search penalties because they compete with the search giant.  Ciao! from Bing, meanwhile, is upset about AdSense terms and conditions.

These complaints might constitute grounds for a formal antitrust investigation.  Google doesn't appear too concerned, though.  On the European Public Policy Blog, Julia Holtz, the company's senior competition counsel, wrote, "Though each case raises slightly different issues, the question they ultimately pose is whether Google is doing anything to choke off competition or hurt our users and partners.  This is not the case."

She then continued, "We always try to listen carefully if someone has a real concern and we work hard to put our users' interests first and to compete fair and square in the market.  We believe our business practices reflect those commitments."

Holtz also hinted that a certain rival of Google's might be behind much of this.  Ciao! from Bing is owned by Microsoft, after all, and Foundem belongs to an organization (the Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace) that's sponsored by Microsoft. 

Anyway, no targets or deadlines have been set with regards to when the European Commission will come to some conclusion.

Microsoft Announces CFO Changeover

Chris Liddell, who's served as Microsoft's chief financial officer for four and a half years, intends to leave the company rather soon.  Microsoft announced that Peter Klein will be transitioning in over the next month, and then Liddell will depart at the end of the 2009.

It should comfort Microsoft fans and/or shareholders to know that Liddell isn't leaving in any sort of disgrace; CEO Steve Ballmer complimented him in a formal statement, and Liddell in fact seems to be interested in becoming a CEO himself.

Klein also said, "I'm honored to take on the role of Microsoft CFO.  I've learned a lot working with Chris, and I'm excited about the opportunities ahead for Microsoft.  We have an incredible pipeline of products, we have strong financial and operational accountability, and we are well-positioned for growth as the economy recovers."

So let's now take a closer look at Klein.  With degrees from the University of Washington and Yale, he started at Microsoft in 2002, and served for a time as CFO of Microsoft's Server and Tools Business.  At the moment, he's CFO of Microsoft's Business Division, which puts him in charge of an $18.9 billion organization and 7,800 full-time employees.

Klein's not exactly from the minor leagues, then.  Count on the transition going smoothly.

Have You Read This?

> Is The Murdoch Bing Deal Really Just About The Wall Street Journal?

> Report: Microsoft, News Corp. Plotting Against Google

> Microsoft Takes Users Behind Bing

 

Online Shoppers Have Bigger Holiday Budgets Than Offline Shoppers

Compete has shared some findings from a new study on consumer holiday shopping behavior. According to the firm, active online buyers (consumers who intend to spend over 30% of their holiday budgets online) have bigger budgets than other shoppers. Furthermore, they are more likely to spend that money on Black Friday.

The study shows that "active online buyers" plan to spend twice as much ($912 on average) throughout the holiday season as other consumers. 37 percent of the online buyers also say they'll shop on Black Friday, compared with 33 percent of other consumers.

"Many retailers are bracing for lower online sales, but our research shows that not all shoppers are created equal," said Debra Miller, associate, Retail and Consumers Products at Compete. "While most consumers say they'll spend less this year, online shoppers seem to have deeper pockets and they'll be looking for deals starting on Black Friday. Smart retailers should take a much closer look at online shopping segments relevant to them to capture a larger share of wallet among online consumers."

Other findings from Compete include:

- 86 percent of shoppers have completed less than half of their total holiday shopping; 41 percent have not yet begun.

- 90 percent of consumers will spend at least some portion of their holiday budget online this year, up from 84 percent in 2008.

- 42 percent of consumers reported that they are likely or extremely likely to select an “in store pick up” option if available for holiday purchases.

- 44 percent of consumers plan to spend less this holiday season compared to last year, while only 12 percent of shoppers anticipate spending more.

The report was compiled from a survey of over 2,900 consumers this month. What are your holiday spending plans? Are you an "active online buyer?"

Have You Read This?

> Holiday Shoppers Want Deals Even More Than They Did Last Year

> More People Plan To Shop Online During The Holidays

> Good Chunk of Holiday Spending Will Be Online

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