German enterprise software solution provider SAP has confirmed its latest acquisition. This deal will put SAP in the select list of enterprises offering cloud-based paid media solutions.

Marketing attribution ecosystem is shrinking in population as big tech innovators and solution providers continue to acquire smaller independent firms. The latest attribution solution provider to be acquired is Abakus.

SAP will take Abakus under its Hybris umbrella in Q1 of 2017. According to SAP Hybris, its latest acquisition will help marketers get close to customers through end-to-end marketing attribution. It will allow the marketers to attribute content consumed across various devices and channels in a single unified window.

Abakus offers unique, web-based UI insights on media purchases and optimizations, assisting CMOs and CFOs to attribute customer interactions across all devices and assess the incremental value of marketing on business results.

In addition to automated content planning and management, personalization and optimization, bringing Abakus in Hybris’ fold will boost sales revenue based on advanced analytics attribution model.

Abakus’ attribution model is unique by virtue of it utilizing Game Theory to forecast conditions that influence media buying and optimization along customer journey. It attributes upper as well as lower sales funnel activities using ‘Split-funnel’ attribution. Marketers gain clearer picture on what drives customers towards their brands based on split-funnel attribution analytics.

SAP may be a new entrant in paid media channel. However, things have changed rapidly for the enterprise software provider since it revealed SAP Exchange Media (XM). Owing to Abaklus’ strong footing in ad tech, SAP intends to synergize XM and Hybris Marketing Cloud with its latest inclusion.

Abakus founder, Alex Saldanha revealed how two companies are committed to provide customer-centric marketing analytics using a real-time software. Convergence of SAP Hybris, XM and Abakus is definitely on cards.

Ad tech is seen as a major ROI churner for marketing cloud companies that largely restricted their focus on 1:1 martech channels like email automation. Ground-breaking events like Oracle buying Blue Kai and Datalogix in 2014 and Adobe acquiring TubeMogul have expanded the scope of B2B martech solution. In June 2016, Salesforce extended its CRM platform into digital commerce by signing a definitive agreement with Demandware.

With Abakus now part of SAP Hybris, customers can claim to benefit from their enhanced ability to do high-volume audience segmentation in real time. Currently, Abakus will be offered as a stand-alone product in SAP Hybris package. SAP Hybris-Abakus is expected to churn valuable ideas for marketers on how optimal mix of marketing channels and messages can drive sales effectively.

The latest update on Microsoft’s LinkedIn deal can shift the paradigm of marketing technology towards social connectivity in the near future. After months of waiting, Microsoft can finally add the largest professional social networking site, LinkedIn, to its bundle of acquisitions. The European Union (EU) approved the $26 billion deal after the tech-giant agreed to offer concessions to global users.

Before the final update on Microsoft’s LinkedIn deal, the acquisition had to earn approvals from regulatory authorities from Brazil, Canada, South Africa and the US. Microsoft pressed a statement announcing the receipt of approvals from all the regulators.

Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer (CLO) of Microsoft said about the EU approval,

“As part of our discussions with the European Commission, we formalized several commitments regarding Microsoft’s support for third-party professional social networking services.”

In June 2016, Microsoft and LinkedIn announced the signing of a definitive acquisition agreement pegged at $26.2 Billion. The technology titian acquired LinkedIn for $196 per share, turning the deal into one of the biggest acquisitions made by Microsoft in recent times.

Why did the deal come under the scanner?

Microsoft was not alone in the race to grab this deal with LinkedIn. Salesforce was there too, looking to acquire the most valuable professional networking site in the world. However, Microsoft outbid the competitors with fair margin. Meanwhile, Salesforce had raised issues likely to crop up in the way data would be flowing to Microsoft, giving the latter an unfair advantage over its rivals.

In the past, Microsoft has been penalized for its anti-competitive practices that highlighted possible unfair advantages of it’s dominant position in the market. The EU has repeatedly fined Microsoft since 2004 for various reasons. Hence, EU acknowledged Salesforce.com’s request and held back the deal from finalizing in Europe.

The Conditions Laid by EU

What the EU asked Microsoft to ensure before legitimizing the acquisition:

Non-LinkedIn users can continue to use Microsoft Office and other products without any limitations. The other professional networking sites can access MS Office applications and cloud-computing services even if they are not on LinkedIn, or don’t have a shortcut on their desktop or devices.

“We also won’t use Windows itself to prompt users to install a LinkedIn application, although it can remain available in the Windows Store and be promoted in other ways,” Smith said

The agreed conditions will be applicable inside the European Union for five years.  While Jeff Wiener will continue to hold the post of CEO of LinkedIn, he will report to CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella.

The Microsoft’s LinkedIn deal is expected to be closed in some days before 2016 ends.