Thoughts on MS buying LinkedIn

[Chintan Gohel]

The story can be found here: Microsoft enters into agreement to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion | Windows Central

Basically, if all goes well, LinkedIn will be part of MS in a few months

What are your thoughts on this?
Are you a LinkedIn user?
Do you see this as a positive development or negative? Or something that can go either way?

 

[N_LaRUE]

So long as they don't mess it too much I'm happy? Not really sure what I think.

I've use it quite a bit and in the past quite extensively to make connections and find work.

It should be fine. I'm sure there are people on here who think it's great. Thing is I keep thinking Nokia... Though this is slightly different. I'm guessing they won't mess with it much. I hope.

 

[Rubidad]

LinkedIn is in financial trouble. Perhaps MS can help turn in around, but I have my doubts. Can anyone point out any recent MS buys that panned out? We all know what the Nokia purchase did!!!

 

[N_LaRUE]

LinkedIn is in financial trouble. Perhaps MS can help turn in around, but I have my doubts. Can anyone point out any recent MS buys that panned out? We all know what the Nokia purchase did!!!

If they're having financial trouble why is it worth $26.2 billion? For lack of a better term, LinkedIn is a social network platform for professionals. If it's in trouble I'd expect it to be a lot lower value.

If it is having some form of difficulty then sure, fix that up but don't mess with what works. Just fix what isn't.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

I get the feeling this is mostly about the huge network of professionals who are more likely to use MS software rather than the average consumer who could be a student or a person using basic services

 

[Ryujingt3]

Whilst I don't use LinkedIn that much I can see the obvious benefits with Office and Windows integration.

Now, imagine if Microsoft ploughed that amount of money into Windows Phone?

We'd surely then get at least a Starbucks app

 

[Laura Knotek]

I'm not sure about LinkedIn in other countries, but what I've noticed in the US is that everyone registers for it and creates an account, but nobody bothers with it. It's something one might check if he/she gets a new contact request once in a while, but it doesn't get used regularly.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm not sure about LinkedIn in other countries, but what I've noticed in the US is that everyone registers for it and creates an account, but nobody bothers with it. It's something one might check if he/she gets a new contact request once in a while, but it doesn't get used regularly.

Depends how involved you are with it. If you're a recruiter you use it a lot. If you're a contractor looking for work, you'll use it a lot. If you're someone who wants to connect with businesses and certain people, you'll use it.

A person doing a full time position with no desire to go anywhere won't use it that regularly or at all.

But it is a powerful tool if you use it right.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Depends how involved you are with it. If you're a recruiter you use it a lot. If you're a contractor looking for work, you'll use it a lot. If you're someone who wants to connect with businesses and certain people, you'll use it.

A person doing a full time position with no desire to go anywhere won't use it that regularly or at all.

But it is a powerful tool if you use it right.

I know people in the real estate business who say it's not helpful to them.

A couple of people I know in the financial business have no use for it either.

 

[mikepalma]

All I know,say the same thing, " yes I registered but would never pay a penny for it.. ".

Bad purchase

 

[N_LaRUE]

I know people in the real estate business who say it's not helpful to them.

A couple of people I know in the financial business have no use for it either.

I can understand why those two wouldn't find it useful. But again, depends.

Let's say you were looking to change jobs. You can do a lot of research on a company and employees if they're on LinkedIn. You can follow companies if you have an interest in employment with them. If's helpful that way.

You can join groups of like minded people and communicate ideas.

You can network with it really well if that's what you want to do.

It's like any social network/communication platform. It's all depends on if you want to use it.

I've managed to keep in touch with past co-workers and find jobs with it so I speak from personal experience. I prefer it to Facebook personally.

 

[mikepalma]

Have you ever purchased anything on LinkedIn?

 

[Ian_Superfly]

I predict they will do like this:
1. Pay up 26 billion USD
2. Stop any feature development for 2 years while they remake the core of the LinkedIn system
3. Release the “new” LinkedIn which has almost the same features as the LinkedIn we know today (but without the finesse and also lacking some appreciated core functionality)
4. Release some new “LinkedIn for students”, "LinkedIn for pets" and "LinkedIn for dead people" that all will flop
5. Find out that the userbase is shrinking and therefore transform LinkedIn to a simple “Facebook plug in”
6. Fire 95% of the employees

(As a "bonus" they might screw up the posibillities to use any local language outside US. IF someone moves across a boarder, his LinkedIn account will stop working. Chronological order for this is unknown...)

The future has the answer…

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Another article: LinkedIn CEO: Microsoft's acquisition 'is the best thing for our company' | Windows Central

The last few paragraphs are particularly interesting as the CEO mentions that the company will stay independent, almost all employees will continue as usual

 

[Chintan Gohel]

In this article, the MS CEO states the same thing: Satya Nadella: Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition will help 'reinvent productivity and business processes' | Windows Central

 

[N_LaRUE]

Have you ever purchased anything on LinkedIn?

What would you buy on LinkedIn??? It's not a shop.

I don't use the paid subscription because it's not essential for me. If I was in a different position I probably would.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I predict they will do like this:
1. Pay up 26 billion USD
2. Stop any feature development for 2 years while they remake the core of the LinkedIn system
3. Release the “new” LinkedIn which has almost the same features as the LinkedIn we know today (but without the finesse and also lacking some appreciated core functionality)
4. Release some new “LinkedIn for students”, "LinkedIn for pets" and "LinkedIn for dead people" that all will flop
5. Find out that the userbase is shrinking and therefore transform LinkedIn to a simple “Facebook plug in”
6. Fire 95% of the employees

(As a "bonus" they might screw up the posibillities to use any local language outside US. IF someone moves across a boarder, his LinkedIn account will stop working. Chronological order for this is unknown...)

The future has the answer…

Well you're a bit off. MS is leaving it as an independent entity. Thanks for the laugh though.

 

[Danobe]

But for how long will it be "Independent"? Like Nokia? After a year or so, the layoffs will happen. I do get some business from LinkedIn, but mostly I get people who knows me personally who wants to befriend me as they do on Facebook.
The business I get is not nearly enough to make me want to pay for it, to be honest.

 

[N_LaRUE]

But for how long will it be "Independent"? Like Nokia? After a year or so, the layoffs will happen. I do get some business from LinkedIn, but mostly I get people who knows me personally who wants to befriend me as they do on Facebook.
The business I get is not nearly enough to make me want to pay for it, to be honest.

Well we can only go by what the CEOs wrote. Can't predict anything. It's also a different situation. This is a professional networking site not a hardware company failing and not really 'fitting' in with MS.

The only way for MS to screw this up is to stick their fingers in it.

As for paying for it, the average user doesn't need to unless it suits your business activities.

 

[Pete]

On the face of it, it looks like this is just another acquisition by Microsoft, but there's a deeper reason.

Why Microsoft just bought LinkedIn: It's all about the data | ZDNet

Quoting in part:

Some of the potential scenarios Microsoft officials are envisioning includes better prospect and customer information for Dynamics CRM (and non-Microsoft CRM systems) and overall improved knowledge-management capabilities for Office 365 and Dynamics CRM and ERP. Social learning is another potential area where LinkedIn -- and its Lynda.com training capabilities -- could complement what Microsoft's doing around certification and education across its product lines.

Bing, too, could benefit from integrating with LinkedIn by becoming "the best professional search," Microsoft officials believe.

With a bit of work in Azure, your Dynamics CRM could help identify further sales opportunities for customers and link them to your employees who relate best to the customers' business interests.

Granted, this relies on your customers keeping their profiles largely up to date.