Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2B in cash, makes big move into enterprise social media

Huge news today in the world of M&A in enterprise and social networking services:Microsoft has announced that it is acquiring LinkedIn, the social network for professionals with some 433 million users, for $26.2 billion, or $196 per share, in cash. The transaction has already been approved by both boards, but it must still get regulatory and other approvals.

If for some reason the deal does not go through, LinkedIn will have to pay Microsoft a $725 million termination fee, according to Microsoft’s SEC filing detailing the merger.

The $196 per share offer is a big hike on its closing price from Friday, $131.08. (And in pre-market trading, unsurprisingly, LinkedIn’s stock has nearly crept up 64 percent to reach the share price Microsoft is paying. Microsoft’s price is down 4 percent to $49.66 in pre-market trading.)

LinkedIn is keeping its branding and product, and it will become a part of Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment. LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner will report to Satya Nadella.
How Microsoft plans to use LinkedIn

The acquisition is a big one for both sides.

For Microsoft, it’s bringing a key, missing piece into the

Windows 10 Mobile launches for existing handsets

Microsoft is finally rolling out its Windows 10 Mobile upgrade to existing handsets today. The software giant has been testing a variety of updates over the past few months, and a number of handsets will receive the update starting today. Microsoft is supporting the Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 635 (1 GB RAM), Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, and Lumia 930 initially. While the rollout will start today, it will all depend on when carriers make the update available for devices. Microsoft has

Windows turns 30: a visual history

The PC revolution started off life 30 years ago this week. Microsoft launched its first version of Windows on November 20th, 1985, to succeed MS-DOS. It was a huge milestone that paved the way for the modern versions of Windows we use today. While Windows 10 doesn’t look anything like Windows 1.0, it still has many of its original fundamentals like scroll bars, drop-down menus, icons, dialog boxes, and apps like Notepad and MS paint.
Windows 1.0 also set the stage for the mouse. If you used MS-DOS then you could only type in commands, but with Windows 1.0 you picke

Microsoft launches Windows laptop

Microsoft's surprise product launch was a laptop dubbed the Surface Book

Microsoft has launched a laptop dubbed the Surface Book, as part of a suite of new Windows 10 products.

It also showed off two new smartphones, an updated Surface tablet and a new fitness band.

Much is riding on the

Windows 10: Which Version Should You Get?

Microsoft’s Windows 10 is coming to a computer near you in a little more than a week. And, like its two most recent predecessors (the widely reviled Windows 8 and fan favorite Windows 7), Windows 10 will be

Microsoft Launches Visual Studio 2015

After a year of previews and one release candidate, Microsoft today officially launched the latest version of its Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) together with an update to its .NET framework.

Visual Studio 2015 (VS 2015) is now

Microsoft debuts new Windows 10 ‘Hero’ default desktop image

This is a far cry from the rolling green hill many of us grew up with on our desktops. Microsoft’s updated operating system will come with a new “hero” desktop image, the default option when Windows 10 is first installed. The company debuted the image today in advance of

Microsoft CEO says 'magical things' and 'tough choices' are ahead

'Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.'

Microsoft is becoming a company of laser focus under Satya Nadella, and today the CEO emailed staff with a new mission statement and outlook for the 2016 fiscal year. Nadella's message, obtained by GeekWire, is optimistic but also straightforward and honest, and he acknowledges that Microsoft will face difficult decisions in the coming months. "Our mission is to

REVEALED: The Windows 10 smartwatch Microsoft was building BEFORE the Apple Watch

THESE leaked images reveal Microsoft's answer to the Apple Watch – and it looks awesome.

The Nokia design team was quietly working on a colourful wearable for Microsoft

The colourful square-faced smartwatch was being developed by the Nokia design team before Apple announced its first

Microsoft officially launches 1TB Xbox One console

As expected, Microsoft has officially launched an Xbox One with double the storage of the original, complete with a controller that finally packs a 3.5mm stereo jack. The 1TB console will start shipping to retailers on June 16th in the US and other "select markets," according to Redmond. As rumored, the price will be $399, and even better, the standard 500MB Xbox One will permanently keep its $349 discounted price. Finally, Microsoft revealed that the

The Best Unsung Features of Windows 10

There are things about working with large companies that can be really frustrating. For instance, when both Windows Vista and Windows 8 were coming to market, a number of us pointed out that things needed to be fixed before the product was released, but we were ignored, with catastrophic results.

This time, however, Windows 10 is looking better than

Sneak peek of Windows 10 build 10136 shows Office 95 running just fine, thank you

As Windows 10 hurtles toward its July 29 release date, a sneak peek at the next official builds shows this state-of-the-art operating system running—yes—Office 95. That's how backward-compatible the OS will be, bragged Microsoft's Gabe Aul on Twitter. Most likely your copy of Office 95 went

Windows 10: release date, price, news and features

Update: Microsoft has confirmed that there will be seven versions of Windows 10, spanning from displayless IoT devices to fully-fledged workstations. Servers and big-iron machines will be served by Windows Server 2016. 

With Windows 8 and today Windows 8.1, Microsoft tried – not entirely successfully – to deliver an operating system (OS) that could handle the needs of not only number-crunching workstations and high-end gaming rigs, but touch-controlled systems from all-in-one PCs for the family and thin-and-light notebooks down to

Microsoft Windows Phone by any other name: It's now 'Windows 10 Mobile'

The software maker is rebranding its mobile operating system as it tries to remind consumers of its once-dominant role in the market.

Windows 10's new Continuum feature will let smartphone owners use PC versions of apps like Word and PowerPoint, including a mouse and keyboard, just by plugging their devices into a monitor. Windows Mobile is back from the dead.

Microsoft is killing off its Windows Phone brand, which has languished in the mobile market for the last five years. In its place: Windows 10 Mobile, a reference

Windows7 GodMode

GodMode

Create a new folder and rename it with this code { ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C }