Microsoft Buys LinkedIn with Plans to Improve Connectivity

By Alex Batty, MHI Marketing Communications Coordinator | @mhi_alex

Microsoft recently bought the professional social media network Linkedin for $26.2 billion. This move brings 433 million user-created profiles under the Microsoft umbrella, which could lead to a boost in Microsoft product placement and sales, but it gives Microsoft a leg up in data. The acquisition gives Microsoft access to intelligence that can make the Microsoft productivity platform much smarter.

Microsoft plans on keeping the core of Linkedin – a professional social network – but has plans to both integrate the Microsoft brand and products as well as make it a profitable acquisition. Not long after the purchase announcement, Linkedin recently rolled out a programmatic ad buying opportunity for advertisers and companies on the site. Because Linkedin indexes participants by industry, interests, and skills, ads can be very specifically targeted to viewers, giving purchased space greater potential for clickthroughs and conversions.

Other potential changes to the site could include Office 365 and Dynamics, a customer relationship management program, integration and giving Cortana access to Linkedin information to inform users of Linkedin contacts.

Time and the market will tell how successful this purchase and the integrations will be. For now, Linkedin remains a place to network professionally. Follow MHI on Linkedin and join our MHI and MHI Young Professionals groups as well as groups for our trade shows, ProMat and MODEX.

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