When it comes to Razorfish, Microsoft has already been laying off employees. Rumours about sale of the whole unit have circulated for a while, with evidence that Razorfish was quietly using GNU/Linux. It is now more or less confirmed that Microsoft is to shed off another 2,000+ employees, according to reports.

Microsoft has hired Morgan Stanley to find a potential buyer for its Internet ad agency Razorfish, according to the Financial Times. The report indicates that Publicis Groupe, a French marketing company, as well as other agency groups, such as Omnicom and WPP, could be potential buyers for the company valued somewhere between $600 million and $700 million.

Now, the software giant is formally moving ahead with the plan, hiring Morgan Stanley to help find a buyer.

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• Publicis: No Comment On Reports It's A Bidder For Razorfish
• Microsoft reportedly to put Razorfish up for sale