Satya Nadella Details First Steps for Microsoft-LinkedIn Integration

Earlier this week, Microsoft's $26 billion purchase of LinkedIn finally cleared, giving the green light to the companies' plans for integration. Yesterday, CEO Satya Nadella outlined the first steps in this long relationship of collaboration. Pointing out the similarities between to two companies, he stressed,“our top priority is to accelerate LinkedIn's growth, by adding value for every LinkedIn member.”

Upcoming Integration

Some of this value will be added via LinkedIn integration in several Microsoft services, including the Office suite and Windows 10. However, the changes won't stop there. Here's Nadella's full list:

• “LinkedIn identity and network in Microsoft Outlook and the Office suite
• LinkedIn notifications within the Windows action center
• Enabling members drafting résumés in Word to update their profiles, and discover and apply to jobs on LinkedIn
• Extending the reach of Sponsored Content across Microsoft properties
• Enterprise LinkedIn Lookup powered by Active Directory and Office 365
• LinkedIn Learning available across the Office 365 and Windows ecosystem
• Developing a business news desk across our content ecosystem and MSN.com
• Redefining social selling through the combination of Sales Navigator and Dynamics 365″

This information builds on the plan Microsoft outlined previously, adding some new and interesting tidbits. One of the most surprising is the annoucement of Microsoft's own business news center. This could be very powerful with LinkedIn's unrivalled access to professionals. Microsoft will also be extending the reach of its advertising, and we assume this will allow MSN advertisers to buy ads on LinkedIn. With 100 million unique visitors per quarter, that's bound to be a lucrative business. However, according to Nadella, it's not all about the money. “We also see a greater opportunity to help ensure that everyone can benefit from digital technology and the new opportunities created by the digital economy,” he said. “Together, working across private and public sectors, we can create more opportunity for everyone to participate and share in economic growth.” With the huge influence of both companies, it's not such an outlandish claim. It will be interesting to see what innovations the two have in store. You find more details in Nadella's full LinkedIn post.