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Salesforce Pushes Regulators To Block Microsoft's LinkedIn Deal (cnn.com)
Salesforce is urging the European Union to take a closer look at Microsoft's takeover of LinkedIn as EU regulators ask questions on how the software giant could use AI to exploit data from LinkedIn's professionals. Chief Legal Officer Burke Norton said Salesforce plans to tell European and U.S. antitrust officials it has concerns about the acquisition. From a CNN report:"Microsoft's proposed acquisition of LinkedIn threatens the future of innovation and competition," Burke Norton, chief legal officer at Salesforce, said in a statement. "By gaining ownership of LinkedIn's unique dataset of over 450 million professionals in more than 200 countries, Microsoft will be able to deny competitors access to that data, and in doing so obtain an unfair competitive advantage. [...] We intend to work closely with regulators, lawmakers and other stakeholders to make the case that this merger is anticompetitive," he added. The European Commission is reaching out to multiple companies as part of a review of the pending acquisition. Salesforce's comments came in response to this, according to Chi Hea Cho, a spokeswoman for Salesforce.
because they lost out on buying linkedin for themselves.
Great topic!
Translation: Microsoft is doing what we wanted to do. We should be the ones denying competitors access to data and reaping advantages from it.
These fuckboys at salesforce are just pissed off they couldn't afford the premium Microsoft paid.... Salesforce would do the same exact thing they're accusing Microsoft of doing if they had bought LinkedIn.
...I'm not on LinkedIn.
By gaining ownership of LinkedIn's unique dataset of over 450 million professionals in more than 200 countries, Microsoft will be able to deny competitors access to that data, and in doing so obtain an unfair competitive advantage
That 'data' is the career info and personal details on millions of hopeful job seekers, and they'll use it for what, exactly? "Oh, looks like Johnson just got a raise, time to start throwing ads for luxury vehicles at him!" Or "Smith is on mat leave, start spamming her with childhood educational assistance program ads!"
I did sign up for an account once about a decade ago...and deleted it after about a week. The sheer volume of bullshit that I got spammed with was unbelievable. It took quite some time to stem the flow again (pretty much had to pretend I died for a couple of years...). For a service advertised as 'for professionals', they sure act anything but.
"I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant
SalesForce might actually want LinkedIn as a business unit.
However, I think MS is only in it for the user data, as with Skype and, to a degree, Mojang. MS is desperate to get user data like Apple and Google has. But MS has no idea how to build a community or connect with consumers, so they have to collect user data by either surreptitious means (Win10) or by buying it through business acquisitions.
How cute. They think that LinkedIn's data has value. It's pretty much all clueless headhunters shooting in the dark and terribly incompetent unemployed people looking for work. There really isn't much there of use.
Microsoft, Salesforce and Oracle are competing for the next artificial intelligence (AI) system, which requires large data sets to train properly. LinkedIn and Twitter have large data sets.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/salesforce-joins-race-for-artificially-intelligent-business-software-1474241982
The difference between MS and Salesforce when it comes to LinkedIn is that I can see Salesforce's existing platform as possibly adding value to current LinkedIn users and I can see LinkedIn adding value for existing Salesforce users. I do not see any value for existing LinkedIn users from MS purchasing LinkedIn (and I see a significant possibility for degradation of service). In addition, while I see value to MS from buying LinkedIn, I do not see any value to their users.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
Apple and MS seem to keep software they buy alive forever. Google kills its own software and purchased software regularly.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
with anyone that owns LinkedIn, including LinkedIn? I hate all this competition lawsuit crap. People voluntarily enter their info on the site. It isn't the only place people go to find jobs. It isn't the only resume board. Not to mention MS hasn't exactly been on a hiring spree for the last 5 yrs.
At worse I suspect the worry is they'll get freezed out of browsing LinkedIn and trying to recruit people away from other companies. IMO devs actively looking for a job that are interested will know who Salesforce is and it will either be on their list of places to apply or not regardless.
Besides lets say it does give them an "unfair advantage". They didn't exactly get it for free they are paying about a 50% price premium. Say roughly 8B more than market. How about Salesforce invest 8B of their own money trying to recruit people? I'm betting spreading around 200k signing bonuses would help the recruiting process. It isn't an unfair advantage it is an investment choice: guess what companies invest for profit and market advantage: news at 11.
Seems like Salesforce are basing their opposition to the purchase on the fact that Microsoft won't share the data from LinkedIn to 3rd parties. The regulators should ask Salesforce if they will share the information. If yes then block the deal but make sharing the data a condition if Salesforce does buy LinkedIn. If they don't plan on sharing the data then tell Salesforce to get lost and send them a bill for time wasted.