Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn will combine the world’s largest professional network with the largest cloud-based productivity platform. The extensive data LinkedIn has collected in their Economic Graph will be combined with Microsoft’s Office Graph to help the merged companies derive more advanced productivity-enhancing products and services. And the addition of LinkedIn’s social fabric and knowledge base will enhance the capabilities of Office 365, Dynamics, and even Cortana.
As much opportunity there might be from the merger, the news was still a huge surprise. And it was most likely a huge surprise for most of LinkedIn’s workforce that they would now be under the Microsoft umbrella. The founder of LinkedIn has even called this momentous merger a re-founding moment for the company. To help message what this transition is all about, Satya Nadella emailed his Microsoft employees and held a call with investors. And now, Microsoft has published Nadella’s email to his new LinkedIn employees as well.
The email stresses the opportunities for the two companies to work together and how “this deal is the next step forward for Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we connect them to the world’s largest and most valuable professional network.” Nadella also stresses in his email that what he and LinkedIn employees have in common is a desire to find deeper “meaning in what we do” and that together Microsoft and LinkedIn “we can make an even bigger and more positive difference in the future.”
It will be interesting to see how the chance for these two companies to work so closely together enhances both of their already industry leading services. Below is Nadella’s full email to the LinkedIn team.
LinkedIn Team,
I am flying back to Seattle more energized and inspired after spending the day on your Mountain View campus and talking with many of you. From the moment I met Jeff I knew he was a special leader creating a special place at LinkedIn — your sense of purpose is palpable. A few years ago one of my mentors shared the idea that we spend far too much time at work to not find deep meaning in what we do. I sense you all feel that at a profound level too. I know that you came to LinkedIn to make a difference in the world, and I want you to know that I believe that, working together, we can make an even bigger and more positive difference in the future.
Jeff, Reid, Qi and I have started dreaming about what we ca do together. I like that Reid calls today a re-founding moment and Jeff so clearly sees how Microsoft can help LinkedIn achieve the mission you relentlessly pursue. I have spent a lot of time learning about LinkedIn while also reflecting on how networks can truly differentiate cloud services. Over the past decade we have moved Microsoft Office from a set of productivity tools to a cloud service across any platform and device. This deal is the next step forward for Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we connect them to the world’s largest and most valuable professional network — LinkedIn. I know we’ll invent new ways to help professionals achieve more as we reinvent selling, marketing and talent management business processes. Please take a look at the presentation Jeff and I shared earlier with investors and the email I shared with the Microsoft team today.
As we get to know each other better, I thought it would be helpful to share with you the email I sent to my team a few years ago when I took on my new job. I wanted the team to better understand what motivates me and the opportunity I see for Microsoft. Most of all, I wanted to start the process of rediscovering our soul. As you learn more about us, I think you will find many commonalities in our culture and purpose as well as how eager our team is to partner with you, to learn from you and — perhaps most important — to make a difference in the world with you.
Satya
