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Microsoft has many subsidiaries, including some that are quite well-known. Skype and LinkedIn are two of the best-known subsidiaries, but Microsoft also has a large number of lesser-known subsidiaries. These include companies like Mojang (the creator of Minecraft) and Nokia.
Microsoft has been criticized for its large number of subsidiaries, with some saying that it is difficult to keep track of them all. Others argue that the variety of businesses allows Microsoft to be successful in a wide range of markets.
Microsoft Subsidiaries
LinkedIn, the social media site for professionals, and Microsoft, the tech giant, have announced their intention to merge. The deal is valued at $26.2 billion and will create a subsidiary of Microsoft. LinkedIn shareholders will receive $196 per share in cash. Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of LinkedIn and report to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2016.
This move signals a shift in strategy for Microsoft, which has been focusing on cloud computing and mobile devices in recent years. LinkedIn provides a way for Microsoft to get into the social media market and compete with companies like Facebook and Google. For LinkedIn, the merger provides access to Microsoft’s resources and could help it expand its user base.
Skype Technologies S.A.R.L
Skype Technologies S.A.R.L, a Luxembourg-based company, filed a lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation and its subsidiaries on Monday, alleging that the companies violated antitrust laws in the development and marketing of Skype software.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks unspecified damages and asks the court to order Microsoft to stop what the plaintiffs called anticompetitive practices.
In a statement, John von Essen, the chief executive of Skype Technologies, said: “We have tried to negotiate with Microsoft for more than a year to address our concerns but they have been unwilling to work with us.”
Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion.
GitHub
Microsoft has announced that it is acquiring GitHub for $7.5 billion. This move comes as a surprise to many, as Microsoft has been hostile towards open source software in the past. Some people are concerned that Microsoft will change GitHub’s policies to favor its own products and services. Others are hopeful that this acquisition will help GitHub grow even more quickly and become more popular than ever.
GitHub is a platform where developers can share code and collaborate on projects. It has become very popular in recent years, and is used by many large companies, including Microsoft. Microsoft has been trying to catch up to Amazon and Google in the cloud computing market, and it is believed that this acquisition will help them do so.
Some people are worried that GitHub will become less accessible or less democratic after being acquired by Microsoft.
Mojang
In a move that surprised many, Microsoft has announced that it will be acquiring Mojang, the company behind the popular game Minecraft. While the purchase price has not been released, it is estimated to be in the range of $2-3 billion.
Mojang was founded by Markus Persson in 2009, and quickly rose to popularity with the release of Minecraft in 2011. The game has since been downloaded over 100 million times on PC, and a further 30 million times on mobile devices.
Microsoft has stated that Mojang will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary, and that Markus Persson will not be joining Microsoft. In a blog post on Mojang’s website, he had this to say about the acquisition:
“As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing things I love – playing games and making games.
aQuantive
In 2007, aQuantive was acquired by Microsoft for $6.3 billion. At the time, it was the largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history. aQuantive was a digital advertising company, and Microsoft hoped that the acquisition would help it compete with Google in the online ad market.
However, the acquisition failed to achieve this goal, and in 2012, Microsoft wrote down most of aQuantive’s value. In 2013, Microsoft sold aQuantive’s assets to Providence Equity Partners.
ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media is a subsidiary of Microsoft. It was founded in 1999 by Bethesda Softworks founder Christopher Weaver and his wife Roberta. The company is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
ZeniMax Media develops and publishes video games. Some of its most popular titles include Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Doom. In February 2017, ZeniMax Media sued Oculus VR for allegedly violating a non-disclosure agreement and stealing intellectual property.
ZeniMax Media is not the only Microsoft subsidiary to develop video games. 343 Industries, Rare Ltd., Mojang AB, and Turn 10 Studios are all also subsidiaries of Microsoft.
Nuance Communications
Nuance Communications, the provider of voice recognition software, announced this week that it will sell its document imaging business to Microsoft for $100 million. The move signals a shift in strategy for Nuance, which has been increasingly focusing on its healthcare business. The sale also marks a major consolidation in the document imaging market, as Nuance’s and Microsoft’s businesses had been the two largest players in that market.
The decision to sell its document imaging business is not a surprising one given the current state of that market. The market has been shrinking as businesses have been moving away from traditional Document Management Systems (DMS) in favor of cloud-based solutions. Nuance’s decision to focus on its healthcare business is a wise one, as that market is growing rapidly.