How Microsoft's LinkedIn purchase means Mobile Social Media for Business is Growing Strong

LinkedIn, the Social Network for Professionals and Job seekers, is now under new management.

Microsoft snapped up the company from US$26.2 billion dollars on Monday July 13^th 2016 as per their Press Release entitled “Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn”, Posted June 13, 2016 By Microsoft News Center.

Linked in has some impressive stats:

1.      433 million members worldwide

2.      105 million unique visiting members per month

3.      45 billion quarterly member page views

4.      7 million active job listings

LinkedIn albeit boring, a slow growing gentle giant of the Social Media scene as pointed out in the article “Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion”, published June 13 2016 by Tom Warren, The Verge.

An all cash deal, it's bigger than even their acquisition of Mojang for some September 2014 as detailed in my blog article entitled “US$2.5 billion purchase of Mojang by Microsoft - How Minecraft will help Microsoft to build on Xbox Success”.

At the time, spending some US$2.5 billion to acquire Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of the hit game Minecraft, raised eyebrows in certain circles, as it hinted at Microsoft taking Gaming seriously.

Check out this video of an interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner for a better perspective on this deal.

With the launch of the Hololens, [article reference], this may well be the case, as Microsoft was used as part of the demonstration of the capabilities of AR (Augmented Reality).

So why buy LinkedIn?

Microsoft purchase of LinkedIn - Mobile Social Media for Business is Growing Strong

This latest purchase now has many thinking that Microsoft is again making a stab at Business Social Media.

The company is one that's growing, albeit very slowly as noted in the article “Microsoft buys LinkedIn”, published June 13 2016 by Steven Tweedie and Alyson Shontell, Business Insider. 

In 2015 they'd taken the following decisions that have resulted in increased profitability for the company:

1.      Launched a new mobile app

2.      Improved LinkedIn newsfeed for business insights

3.      Acquired Lynda.com, an online learning platform

4.      Revamped their Recruiter product for their enterprise customers

The results speak for themselves:

1.         19% growth YOY (year over year) to more than 433 million members worldwide

2.         9% growth YOY to more than 105 million unique visiting members per month

3.         49% growth YOY to 60 percent mobile usage

4.         34% growth YOY to more than 45 billion quarterly member page views

5.         101% growth YOY to more than 7 million active job listings

This may well be the case yet again, being as they'd attempted to do this by having a stake in Facebook and their acquisition of Yammer for $1.2 billion in 2012 as pointed out in the article “Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2B in cash, makes big move into enterprise social media”, published  June 13 2016 by Ingrid Lunden, Techcrunch.

Mobile Social Networks may be the way many people communicate and connect in the future, especially now that they're monetizing with custom sticker and emojis as I'd pointed out in my blog article entitled “LinkedIn Instant Messaging and Private Groups - Why Stickers and Emoji for Professionals has a Jamaican Touch”.

Microsoft, an investor in Facebook, also want to be a part of the Social side of Business, as LinkedIn is Growing Strong!