French data firm Weborama’s parent company Ycor has claimed that it has outbid Amazon for Sizmek’s Ad Server and Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) product – a week after Amazon announced it had agreed to acquire the Sizmek assets.

According to Ycor, its eleventh-hour bid, which came after two months of “assessing the acquisition of Sizmek Ad Server and DCO”, should be accepted because it is the “best decision from an industry perspective”.

It claims that there is a need for “an independent, neutral and transparent Ad Server player” and that Weborama is positioned to offer this to marketers and agencies.

“Obviously, we are conscious that, given how incommensurate Amazon’s resources are, it can bring ‘David versus Goliath’ to mind,” said Alain Lévy, CEO of Weborama and partner at Ycor. “Today, we make a financial commitment, taking into account what is at stake for the industry as a whole: prevent the advent of a duopoly. We do believe that no one should turn a blind eye on Sizmek Ad Server being possibly acquired by a global platform – be it Amazon or another. Choice must prevail.”

The bid to hijack Amazon’s acquisition comes just a week after Amazon confirmed it would be committing to the long-rumoured deal. The eCommerce giant said its plans were to keep Sizmek’s assets separate from its Amazon Advertising business for the time being. Any plans beyond that seem to have now been throw up in the air.