Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Is Buying LinkedIn For $26.2 Billion (microsoft.com)

Posted by msmash on from the things-Microsoft-buys dept.

Microsoft on Monday announced it is acquiring LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, for a whopping sum of $26 billion -- or $196 per share, in cash. The transactions, the companies say, has already been approved by both boards. As part of the agreement, LinkedIn will get to keep its branding, and will become part of Microsoft's productivity and business processes segment. Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of LinkedIn, and now report to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In a statement, Nadella said: The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world's professionals. Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.LinkedIn has over 430M members on its network. LinkedIn's purchase marks Microsoft's 196th acquisition of another company -- it is incidentally also its most expensive purchase. Four years ago, Weiner laughed at the idea of a Microsoft buyout. Update: 06/13 13:31 GMT by M :According to Bloomberg, LinkedIn shares surged 49 percent in premarket trading in New York to $194.63. Microsoft fell 3.7 percent to $49.60.

12 of 365 comments (clear)

  1. Another one bites the dust by muecksteiner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously. Whatever M$ has ever touched, turned to manure in short order. Think Skype et al.

    On the other hand, as M$ is actually one of the less creepy tech companies out there these days (with Linkedin being very near the top), this might actually end up *improving* the business ethics of Linkedin. :)

    1. Re:Another one bites the dust by Gr8Apes · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is one of the stupidest acquisitions I have ever heard of.

      Not at all, they get pretty much a real list of millions of people along with some real data. Far more valuable for MS than say FBs data IMNSHO. The bad part for MS? Anyone intelligent only uses LinkedIn as a public advertising board. That still doesn't diminish the value of full access to the data. I can see me adding all LinkedIn email to an auto-delete rule in the near future.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    2. Re:Another one bites the dust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Who in the **** wants to be interrupted by LinkedIn when they are working, with a "recommendation for an expert on a task you're trying to complete"?

      LMFAO

    3. Re:Another one bites the dust by Luthair · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So, have you worked for LinkedIn long?

  2. Another "data source" by jbernardo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can just imagine how Microsoft will use this together with all the "telemetry" obtained via windows 10, swiftkey, code compiled with VS2015, skype conversations, office 360 documents, etc.

    So, I did the only sensible thing, and have just deleted my linkedin profile, as I had done at the acquisition time with swiftkey. Bye bye samaritan, you will probably still get my data but will have to try harder...

    1. Re:Another "data source" by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You deleted your publicly available profile that you willingly posted? Why do people post public information on the Internet and then take it down? Why did you put it up there in the first place?

  3. Huge acquisition, MS fails... by justcauseisjustthat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm hoping I'm wrong but every recent major acquisition by MS has been followed by a huge thud. But maybe MS will leave it as is and not screw it up.

  4. What's the motivation? by H3lldr0p · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sure, Microsoft hasn't displayed any competence when it comes to creating or running a social media site, so what's the purpose behind buying LinkedIn?

    The data? The technology (wtf)? What's the move here, because I'm not seeing it. There's no obvious tie-in to the x-box. There's nothing to integrate into their OS or Office. Skype is dying on the vine -- and again, what's there to integrate into the existing software? Autopopulate a post to the professional dude-bro's hangout? What sense does that make?

  5. 60 bucks per user? by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Insightful

    60 bucks per user? Speaking in a purely personal capacity, that's way over the odds.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Re:Oh great by hodet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why? Linkedin is probably your most scrubbed and polished version of yourself that you would post on the internet. If FB is a picture of you sitting in your underwear on the couch nursing a hangover, LinkedIn is you taking a professional photo wearing a tux.

    It is a place that you want the world to see and this deal will mean nothing to the users of the site. It may provide some enhanced tools (Office 365 integration) to buff up your resume, but I fail to see how it even matters otherwise.

  7. Data harvesting by QuietLagoon · · Score: 5, Insightful
    If there were any doubts remaining that Microsoft was pushing the Windows 10 malware upon the world for the purpose of starting up a massive data harvesting campaign, this deal with LinkedIn should put those doubts to rest.

    .
    The amount of data that Microsoft has purchased, and will be able to harvest on a continual basis, has just increased by orders of magnitude.

    .
    Data harvesting appears to be Microsoft's new strategic focus.

  8. Re:A fantastic purchase by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Imagine office integration where you can easily share documents, send messages, and video conference among LinkedIn contacts.

    Have you ever wanted to do that? LinkedIn is mostly my social graph with people I don't work with anymore.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."