This may have been the week when Microsoft managed to steal Apple’s WWDC 2016 thunder. The Satya Nadella-run company has bought professional networking platform LinkedIn for an all cash $26.2 billion which took the industry and the media by surprise.
But we’ve seen plenty of deals before that may never have made sense to us, but from a pure business point of view, they usually did. Here’s a look at some of the other big acquisitions that have taken place in the recent past.
Dell Buys EMC - $67 Billion (2015)
This is the biggest deal in the tech industry. With this buyout, Dell cemented its position in the enterprise business segment. It also enabled them to strengthen their data centre portfolio. But will it be worth the money? Only time will tell.
Microsoft Buys LinkedIn - $26.2 Billion (2016)
We’re still trying to register the purpose of this deal but as Nadella has put it, they’ll look to align Office 365, Outlook and absorb LinkedIn into it as well. It will be interesting to see if this all-cash deal works out.
Facebook Buys WhatsApp - $19.2 Billion (2015)
The social networking giant paid big money to gain control of the world’s most popular messaging app. Ever since the deal materialised, both parties have gained in terms of users. It also helps that Facebook lets WhatsApp work in its own ways.
Google Buys Motorola Mobility - $12.5 Billion (2012)
Google greatly benefited from this deal as they acquired several patents registered with Motorola before selling the company to Lenovo. Armed with the patents, Google aims to bring back the popularity of its Nexus device.
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