NBC, Martha Stewart, and Forbes use Adify to run their own networks; with capable sales forces but undersized websites, ad networks allow them to expand their Web reach. Cox was interested in signing up with Adify as a customer, then decided to buy them outright.

One hopes Cox executives don't think an Adify buy turns them into Google overnight. It gives them technology. But the value of a network isn't primarily in the technology; it's in the data, which allows the operator of the network to refine targeting, improve pricing, and increase its take. A number of small, atomic ad networks may keep salespeople better employed. But they won't overturn the industry's status quo.