Why has Microsoft bought LinkedIn?

The news of LinkedIn’s acquisition by Microsoft has spread like wildfire! The company has been bold in takeovers in the past few years when it started out with the acquisition of Yammer in 2012 for $1.2 billion. It then tried its hand at hardware with the acquisition of Nokia for $7.6 billion which has mostly backfired till now. Microsoft is a software giant (except for the largely successful Xbox range of products) and this time, MS has played to its strengths.

LinkedIn is at $196 per share and Microsoft will pay a total of $26.2 billion for all the shares and pay it in cash! Both parties have agreed on this and only the legalities remain. The CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner will report to Satya Nadella and there will be no other change to how LinkedIn works, the workforce will remain and the work culture unaffected!

This acquisition comes as a huge news in the world of social networking. LinkedIn might not be the world’s largest social network, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even YouTube in contention for that title. However, LinkedIn is most definitely, the largest professional network and has the largest database of professional resumes and profiles on the planet.

So, what does Microsoft plan to do with LinkedIn? Here is what the experts think could happen.

Build the most powerful Business Networking

Microsoft now happens to own Yammer – a business networking service used for communication within organizations, Skype – the most preferred business calling platform and now LinkedIn – the largest professional network in the world. It already has powerful business tools like the Office, Outlook, OneDrive, Dynamics, SharePoint and a lot more under its belt.

Microsoft now has all the ingredients to create the single most powerful Business Tool of all times! Or, it could go ahead and perfect all the products and interlink them to create one mega-ecosystem.

Maybe have one more shot at hardware!

Microsoft might not have made huge strides in hardware but the latest Xbox One S reveal shows the company’s earning to making it big in hardware too. Moreover, Xbox is no longer a half-baked effort but shows that I can push boundaries. Though Xbox is a different division to what LinkedIn and other products mentioned earlier are, the organization might shine through with the new addition.

Imagine a phone that is connected to your business ecosystem and has integrated Outlook and LinkedIn. OneDrive integration is already too seamless and Windows mobile fans find it hard to move away just because of this one reason alone. If MS could crack the formula for providing a simple yet sophisticated software that runs on a beautifully built handset (courtesy the Nokia acquisition!), it could be a game changer…

Access to a mega database that recruiters want

A company is defined by its employees. Microsoft already employs some of the brightest minds on the planet! It now has access to the single largest database of professionals and what they are capable of showcased to potential recruiters. MS now has the liberty of picking and choosing talent at will cutting out the middleman who often shares these “leads” of job seekers with multiple employers.

Microsoft will now have access to crème de la crème of job seekers and find a mind for every opening!

Redefine what MS Office & Dynamics mean

Office has by far been the most successful standalone software ever sold! It is simple yet powerful, complex yet accessible and the one product that still has limitless possibilities. It recently underwent a major overhaul with seamless integration with OneDrive and the addition of a number of features. With LinkedIn, MS Office can become the true office assistant combined with Cortana. Professionals should be able to use LinkedIn as the network that handles their schedule and Office could be the platform that handles the work schedule while Cortana could be the virtual assistant!

Dynamics too can become much more powerful as an HR tool. CRM and ERP concepts can now spread their wings further if LinkedIn and OneDrive are someone merged into one big ecosystem that takes care of cloud-based business handling.

Regain the crown!

Microsoft won the crown of being the platform of the public with its Hotmail a couple of decades back. Since then, it has lost ground and lost the sheen it used to have. But with Windows 8 and now 10 there are glimpses of Windows being a social platform. Xbox further tantalized the dream with amazing social integration and it is high time players like Facebook and Twitter are given a run by the largest network that existed during the dawn of the internet age. 

Watch out for Microsoft, for they are coming in hard under the leadership of Satya Nadella!