CoStar Group recently announced that it was acquiring Visual Lease for $272.5 million. The latter has software for accounting, reporting, and lease management. As GlobeSt.com previously reported, Visual Lease will become part of CoStar's data and analytics database to boost integration opportunities with technology players and improve relationships with accounting service and real estate firms. Plus, CoStar said the purchase will offer all-size companies more lease management and provide a boost to the company's real estate manager unit.

All well and good. Companies in all areas of tech regularly go through mergers and acquisitions, whether to replace or augment capabilities, eliminate a market competitor, or bring in technical staff without having to recruit individuals. The acquired company's owners and investors assumedly get something out of the purchase price.

The one group not automatically included in the exchange of values are the customers who made the acquired company's success possible and whom the acquirer may expect to pay the new owner.