It took a little longer than many people expected, but Google has fired about 300 DoubleClick employees, confirming rumors that had been circulating in the last few days.

The New York Times confirmed the story late Wednesday. The layoffs represent about one quarter of DoubleClick's workforce.

Many had seen the cuts as inevitable after Google closed its acquisition of DoubleClick in a deal that gave the combined companies the lion's share of the internet advertising business. 

The deal has also prompted Google to seek a buyer for Performics, a DoubleClick division that focuses on search marketing. Google announced the news on its official blog.

"It's clear to us that we do not want to be in the search engine marketing business," said Tom Phillips, director, DoubleClick integration. "Maintaining objectivity in both search and advertising is paramount to Google's mission and core to the trust we ask from our users."