Microsoft, the software pioneer, announced in June that it would acquire LinkedIn by the end of the year and it is right on time. The Redmond-based software titan cleared the final obstacle to acquire LinkedIn on Tuesday after it received a green signal from the European Union, leading to the closure of a six-month-old deal.
On Thursday, LinkedIn and Microsoft announced the official closure of the deal for a whopping $26.2 billion, biggest-ever for the software company.
"Today I am even more enthusiastic about the common mission and sense of purpose we share, the similarities in our cultures, and the added value we can create for LinkedIn members, to help professionals transform how they work, realise new career opportunities and connect in new ways," Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said on Thursday.
The multi-billion-dollar deal is a win-win for both companies. But what does it mean for end users? We are about to find out.
In an official blog post on LinkedIn, Nadella outlined the upcoming integrations between both companies. LinkedIn's Sales Navigator tool, which Microsoft had set eyes on from the beginning, will be integrated into its CRM tool Dynamics. But there's a lot more coming from the user-point-of-view.
The professional social networking platform will be deeply integrated within Windows OS, specifically making LinkedIn notifications accessible from the Windows action center. This means you will be able to keep a tab on every notification for a message or a connection request from a random stranger.
Nadella listed down the possible integrations we will be seeing following LinkedIn's acquisition, and here they are:
- LinkedIn identity and network in Microsoft Outlook and the Office suite
- LinkedIn notifications within the Windows action center
- Enabling members drafting résumés in Word to update their profiles, and discover and apply to jobs on LinkedIn
- Extending the reach of Sponsored Content across Microsoft properties
- Enterprise LinkedIn Lookup powered by Active Directory and Office 365
- LinkedIn Learning available across the Office 365 and Windows ecosystem
- Developing a business news desk across our content ecosystem and MSN.com
- Redefining social selling through the combination of Sales Navigator and Dynamics 365
With this, LinkedIn users will be able to easily draft their resumes in Word and apply for jobs on the social network seamlessly. This can certainly be a stress-buster for many who are hunting for jobs. On the business side, it is possible that Microsoft would allow MSN advertisers to buy space on LinkedIn to feature sponsored content, which will be highlighted to more than 100 million users visiting the site each month. But that's still a long way ahead and we can only see why this deal would work great for not just Microsoft and LinkedIn, but also to the end users and businesses.
