Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

[Arthur]

That's a lot of money!

 

Source: Microsoft (via The Verge)

 

Microsoft is announcing today that it plans to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion. Microsoft’s deal to acquire the work-focused social networking giant is an all-cash transaction, and it will value LinkedIn’s shares at $196 each. Microsoft says LinkedIn will retain its own brand, and independence, and existing CEO Jeff Weiner will remain and report directly to Satya Nadella.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89PWn0QaaY

Edited June 13, 2016 by Arthur

[sted]

That's a lot of money!

for a site dedicated to pestering people yes

[Norphy]

I'm sure they must have their reasons but I'm struggling to see them...

 

That said, buying Skype and Minecraft were headscratchers at first and they've been making those work quite well for them.

[3s-gtech]

Massively integrated Windows 10 LinkedIn nagware? I look forward to ignoring more of the new features in future.

[DalekSec]

I can't take LinkedIn seriously after watching 'Grimsby' (the film not the football team)

[sonofsanta]

On the bright side, considering Microsoft's recent "success" with acquisitions, we can expect LinkedIn to be closed down within two years, thus putting an end to all the spam.

[Michael]

I know, they've done a great job with Nokia

 

I also am struggling to see why it's worth the price tag they've paid!?

[rich_tech]

I hope they can help sort it out for the better at this point, I think Linkedin needs to be a lot less spammy here, its basically a massive recruitment spam market at the moment where you have to turn off 95% of the notifications to get peace on there.

[rich_tech]

I know, they've done a great job with Nokia

 

I also am struggling to see why it's worth the price tag they've paid!?

 

That made me laugh there fair play, people seem to forget that for every Skype and Minecraft, theres a Nokia

[localzuk]

Yammer and Skype for Business/Lync/whatever its called now, integration into LinkedIn anyone?

[sted]

I know, they've done a great job with Nokia

 

I also am struggling to see why it's worth the price tag they've paid!?

tax writeoff?

[Michael]

I suppose in the context of Nokia, it wasn't just technologies or the brand, but also the likes of patents which can of course be very lucrative. All the major tech companies globally use patents to extract cash out of each other.

 

In terms of LinkedIn... I'm not entirely sure what it is that Microsoft values at $26 Billion. They can give it to me if they need to 'spend some cash for tax purposes'.

[localzuk]

It appears as if they're thinking about it from the Office 365 POV, plus CRM somehow. Plus, LinkedIn owns Lynda.com.

 

Not sure its worth what they're paying though!

[misslp]

How can you even value LinkedIn at $26.2 billion? The mind boggles. The only reason I can think of is that Microsoft had their own idea/version of LinkedIn, but decided to buy out the 'competition'. I hope that this acquisition doesn't end up like Nokia (and that's a different story).

[difinity]

I feel it was Nokia that mugged off Microsoft, not Microsoft killing Nokia considering the money they paid. The job losses at Nokia were blamed on Microsoft and Nokia ditched a market it was struggling in with Symbian.

[Domino]

Yammer and Skype for Business/Lync/whatever its called now, integration into LinkedIn anyone?

 

YammedIn for Skypeness

[Michael]

$26,000,000,000,000 - I bet whoever is the majority share holder is having a good day. I'd be selling right now... give it 12 months and Microsoft will probably lose faith in it and close it.

 

Satya Nadella, if you're on Edugeek, please tell us why you think its worth this much!

[hardtailstar]

I wish I could sell my CV for that much.....

[Nixon77]

I wonder what changes they will make.

[free780]

Extend, embrace, extinguish. Office365 will have LinkedIn integrated but with a different name.

[jinnantonnixx]

Extend, embrace, extinguish. Office365 will have LinkedIn integrated but with a different name.

 

Yes. Hopefully they'll resurrect Clippy to suggest LinkedIn partners that might be useful to your project as you type your report. Sounds brilliant.*

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/opinion/why-linkedin-will-make-you-hate-microsoft-word.html

 

*No, not really.

[Arthur]

No Clippy in the new redesign.