There have long been rumors that Microsoft would acquire renowned software repository giant GitHub. Today, Microsoft confirmed the acquisition.
As per the sources, Microsoft has acquired GitHub by issuing USD 7.5 billion in stock. The deal was announced and sealed sooner than most software developers and antagonists expected.
This step by Microsoft may be described by many as going back to its roots. Microsoft was co-founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to provide a platform where software products can be developed. Additionally, they aim to provide a path for programmers to program their projects.
Microsoft restricted its source code, but competition from open-source code providers like GitHub, and the resultant high-end open source projects have given Microsoft cause for concern. Skeptics have it that this is Microsoft’s smart strategy of monopolizing the coding market.
Satya Nadella, current Microsoft CEO, is credited with engineering the deal. Nadella has lately been mentioning the acquisition as a done deal in his speeches. Last year, he was quoted saying that the company wanted to bring on board something developers could use to bring impact to the society. He is noted for bringing on board coding initiatives since he took over in 2014.
Elsewhere, many developers of the open source coding community have reportedly opposed the acquisition, citing code decentralization as their next biggest impediment, having relied on the open source code for their projects. Some blockchain project developers who have been using GitHub appear to be unhappy with the acquisition and suggest that they may seek an alternative after the acquisition.
However, Satya Nadella has downplayed this emerging issue as the unintended consequences of acquiring GitHub. “We do not want to distract ourselves without meaning or purpose,” said the Microsoft CEO, who furthered his argument, citing Huxley’s words on the classic novel 1984.
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