Microsoft to Sell Razorfish

Redmond, Washington-based software giant Microsoft will sell its digital advertising agency, Razorfish, part of Microsoft Advertising.

Razorfish has been valued at up to $700 million, based on its sales and profit margins for fiscal 2008. Publicis, a French marketing company, is the potential buyer.

Headquartered in Seattle, Razorfish is one of the largest digital agencies, with more than 2,000 employees. Microsoft acquired the agency in 2007. Razorfish clients include AT&T, Capital One, Best Buy, Carnival Cruise Lines, Ford, Kraft, Adidas and The Economist.

The agency has offices in New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, and Fort Lauderdale. Through 2005-2007, it expanded overseas to London, Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Berlin, Frankfurt and Tokyo.