Internet search giant Google announced its largest layoff, saying it will cut 300 of DoubleClick's 1,200 employees, the online advertising company it acquired last month for $ 3.2 billion.
"Since our acquisition of DoubleClick last month, we have been working to match and align DoubleClick employees in the US with our organisational plan for the business. As with many mergers, this review has resulted in a reduction in head count at the acquired company," the company said in a statement.
Google said about a quarter of the company's employees will exit this week, and others will move into 'transitional positions' until the two companies are fully merged.
Google also plans to sell a DoubleClick unit, Performics, which helps websites improve rankings on Google's search engine. DoubleClick's remaining 300 overseas employees could see some layoffs in the future as well, Google's statement said.
Google's purchase of DoubleClick is intended to boost its revenue through ads that include pictures and video.
With DoubleClick, Google now has the leading display ad platform, which will enable them to rapidly bring to market advances in technology, Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt had said earlier after the announcement of the acquisition.
