Acquisitions

Microsoft wants to buy LinkedIn

Billion-Deal in the IT sector: The Software group Microsoft wants to take on the career network LinkedIn, for 26 billion dollars. The business is still to go in this year on the stage.

Microsoft wants to expand its Position in enterprise with the multibillion-dollar purchase of the career network LinkedIn. The much larger competitor of the German company Xing will assessed a total of 26.2 billion dollars, informed the company on Monday. In this sum, the cash reserves of LinkedIn. Microsoft offers 196 dollars per share. This is a rich premium of 49.5 percent to the closing price from Friday.

In the case of LinkedIn, users can introduce in the vocational profiles, according to a new job look for and other members of the network communicate. Companies use the Portal to search for employees. The Chairman of the career network, Reid Hoffman, said: “LinkedIn is now established again in a new way.”

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network.In the first quarter of 2016, the global number of users increased from 414 to 433 million. In the German-speaking countries, LinkedIn has exceeded the mark of eight million members. The transaction is expected to be completed this year, such as the software group announced on Monday. LinkedIn will also remain after the transaction, own, independent brand. Microsoft’s offer amounts to 196 dollars per LinkedIn share. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the Team of LinkedIn have built up a “fantastic business”. “Together, we can accelerate the growth.” Also the office software is Office 265 and Dynamics will grow with the purchase of – “because we want to equip every person and every company in the world.”

Change of strategy under Nadella

Nadella, Microsoft has introduced since February 2014, and gave the company a new course. Traditionally, Microsoft has lived mainly from selling Windows Software for PCs, and its Office programs. However, with the Shrinking of the PC market, the money machine, Windows has become less reliable. And for Office there is effective competition, including from Google and other providers that have mobile devices in the visor.

Nadella relies on subscriptions instead of purchasing Software and gave the goal to make Online services from Microsoft available on all platforms – so, for example, on Apple’s iPhones and iPads and devices with the Google System Android.

LinkedIn, launched in 2003, is one of the veterans among the Online services. The company is listed since the spring of 2011 on the stock exchange. The career network should retain its brand and under the umbrella of the Microsoft group of companies acting independently. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner will keep his Job, and directly to Nadella. LinkedIn has focused for years on data analysis to help in the search for personnel. Finally, the built-in Blog platform was important, the well-known entrepreneurs such as Virgin founder Richard Branson article post.

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