Salesforce Said to Have Been Rival Suitor for LinkedIn - Bloomberg

Likely to be a big problem for Salesforce, long-term

"While Microsoft has maintained an interest in LinkedIn for several years, the software giant didn’t initiate the conversations that led to the current deal, said people familiar with the process. Rather LinkedIn Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Weiner reached out to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to let him know that they were proceeding with a sale process that had led them to hire bankers and contact other potential buyers, the people said.
Salesforce, which competes with Microsoft in providing cloud-based software and services to businesses, could have used LinkedIn’s vast trove of data on workers around the world to bolster tools that help customers close sales deals. LinkedIn profiles are packed with information on everything from users’ skills and responsibilities at past jobs to methods for contacting them."

Salesforce Said to Have Been Rival Suitor for LinkedIn - Bloomberg