Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently announced that it was acquiring online ad company aQuantive (NASDAQ:AQNT) in the largest deal in Microsoft's history. Is it a good deal for Microsoft or a Google-induced (NASDAQ:GOOG) act of desperation? What will the deal mean for competitors? What will it mean for Microsoft shareholders? I put these questions to Motley Fool analyst Tim Beyers.  

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Tim Beyers owns shares of aQuantive. Mac Greer doesn't. Neither of them own shares of any other company mentioned here. The Fool has a disclosure policy.