Microsoft appears to have significantly slowed its pace on acquisitions in its recently completed fiscal year, according to new data released by the company as part of its annual Form 10-K fiing with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company spent $925 million in cash to buy nine companies during the year, according to the filing. Only one of those, the purchase of video-game company
BigPark Inc., was significant enough to warrant a notation on the company's official list of corporate acquisitions. By comparison, Microsoft spent more than $8 billion on more than 20 acquisitions in
its 2008 fiscal year, primarily to buy Seattle-based online ad company aQuantive.
Chris Liddell, Microsoft's chief financial officer, said earlier this year that Microsoft planned to
sit on the sidelines while valuations of companies adjusted to the new economic realities. But recent debt offerings have given the company additional funds that it could use in acquisitions, if it
were to find the right opportunities. The company is also believed to have acquired Israeli startup 3DV Systems, but that deal was never formally announced.
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