Microsoft Set To Win EU Approval for LinkedIn Buy (reuters.com)

Microsoft is set to gain EU approval for its $26 billion buy of professional social network LinkedIn with tweaks to concessions aimed at addressing competition concerns, three people close to the matter said on Wednesday. From a report on Reuters: Microsoft last week told the European Commission that it would still allow LinkedIn's rivals access to its software such as its Outlook program and give hardware makers the option of installing competing professional social networks on computers after the acquisition. The second plank of the concession is important because of the company's battle with the EU competition authority over the last decade and the policy of tying its products to block rivals, resulting in fines of more than 2.2 billion euros.

Comments

MS, please?

[Anonymous Coward]

Can you just make LinkedIn a tad less spammy?

Re: MS, please?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just for that, we're going to make it extra spammy!

commence deleting LinkedIn account

[Anonymous Coward]

commence deleting LinkedIn account

Re:commence deleting LinkedIn account

[guruevi]

Why would you have one in the first place?

Re:commence deleting LinkedIn account

[Geek_Cop]

I've been directly hired off of LinkedIn, twice. The second was only $119,000 per year starting but was good enough for me....3 years later it still has paid off.

Re:commence deleting LinkedIn account

[Anonymous Coward]

He believe there isn't enough spam in the world and wants to help. Signing up for LinkedIn and giving them your email address is the best way to generate spam. Our office finally got that crap to stop by putting punitive measure in place for people who share their email passwords. It also triggers the breached account measures, which mean you can't do anything that requires authorization (outstanding tokens and tickets are also frozen or revoked) until you come into the office IN PERSON (or by putting your C-suite pressure on the right people) to reset your password.

Re:commence deleting LinkedIn account

[hughbar]

Well done. I did that on the first day of the Microsoft announcement. Do some fun math (maths if you're a Brit, I am), it will cost Microsoft $26 billion and, if everyone deletes their account, it wil be worth nothing, nada, zilch. Even a partial decline change its (highly inflated) value.

Re: commence deleting LinkedIn account

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know how many linked in accounts actually exist, but even if it's 10 million, that means Microsoft is paying 260$ for each and every account. Now please explain how will they ever make even $10 off each account t let alone hundreds?

Another one bites the dust

[Anonymous Coward]

Hotmail, Skype and now LinkedIn.

Anyone care to update this list?

Re:Another one bites the dust

[Anonymous Coward]

So. Many. Things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

It's hard to remember when things like VIsio weren't Microsoft-based

Re: Another one bites the dust

[Anonymous Coward]

It's hard to remember when anyone I know in the tech industry last used Visio. OmniGraffle and LucidChart FTW.. oh except MCITP losers in deadend in-house tech work.

Re: Another one bites the dust

[Zontar The Mindless]

About 15 minutes after Visio 2K came out, would be my guess.

Hey, it's EU after all.

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course they would, we talking about EU, a rhetoric full of crocodile tears and a silent endorsement.
Really, what happened to Browser Choice screen? Windows 10 happened.

WTF does this sentence even mean?

[Anonymous Coward]

and give hardware makers the option of installing competing professional social networks on computers

How do you install a professional social network on a computer?

Re:WTF does this sentence even mean?

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably with shield modulations and photon torpedoes.

Re:WTF does this sentence even mean?

[unixisc]

That's what happens when you have a glorified international bureaucracy like the EU making up the rules

I really hope they get approval...

[c]

... sort of like how I hope that two people I dislike will meet, fall in love, then have a long dysfunctional life together that they can't break out of.

I hope this fails

[The_Revelation]

I understand that clauses like "It would still allow LinkedIn's rivals access to its software such as its Outlook program and give hardware makers the option of installing competing professional social networks on computers". I mean, technically you CAN use Google's Search Engine with Microsoft Windows 10. But at the same time, you need to install a non-MS browser, and even then, if you use Cortana, there is no way for you, as an Enterprise Administrator, to uninstall Microsoft's Pornographic Search Engine: BING. I for one will be closing my LinkedIn account and escape the Microsoft lock in which has traditionally been one of the primary selling points of using Linked In.

Re:I really hope they (don't) get approval...

[Anonymous Coward]

Why? 'cos it's cool to bash those corporate robots at Microsoft? 'cos Microsoft isn't rolling out perfect software like ? 'cos you once had a bad experience with a MS product and it "ruined your life"? 'cos (oh gosh, can't believe I'm gonna say this...) MS are a commercial entity and are looking to make money...

I'm not seeking to defend MS, but really slashdotters - stop being such caricatures!

Re:I really hope they (don't) get approval...

[Anonymous Coward]

Way to undermine my own point... ..."'cos Microsoft isn't rolling out perfect software like [insert-fanboy-preference-here]..."

competition concern

[Errol backfiring]

Off course, competition concerns are very important. Privacy concerns, however, are not a concern at all, not even in Europe. No matter how many privacy laws there are.

Microsoft gets your professional data?

[Anonymous Coward]

What could possibly go wrong with that?
After all they have a superb history of respecting your privacy, right?

Are there any alternatives

[Progman3K]

Are there any worthy alternatives to sites like LinkedIn?