How Microsoft, LinkedIn Will Integrate their Cloud Business Services

LinkedIn will become a major online channel for Microsoft to market its enterprise cloud applications, but don’t expect any drastic changes to the business social network.

After spending $26 billion to acquire LinkedIn, Microsoft will hardly make any sudden or drastic changes that could alienate the social network’s users. But Microsoft has made it clear it will build connections between LinkedIn and its cloud services and application suites.

LinkedIn will be integrated into Microsoft Outlook and the broader Office suite, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed Dec. 8. While details are slim, it’s believed that LinkedIn information including profiles will be available through Outlook, providing users more actionable information than what’s in the service now. Look for similarly useful information across Word and other Office applications.

LinkedIn also will be integrated into Windows. When a user receives a notification via LinkedIn, a message will pop up in the Windows action center, Nadella said. Microsoft is expected to deepen its LinkedIn integration across Windows as time goes on, though plans haven’t been announced.

Job seekers might like what the Microsoft-LinkedIn partnership means. According to Microsoft, LinkedIn members will be able to open their resumés in Word and their LinkedIn profiles will be updated automatically. Microsoft also will use its services to help users find and apply to jobs on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn offers advertising in the form of sponsored, or paid, content. Historically, that content has been limited to its services. Looking ahead, Microsoft says it will expand the ad program to run them across the software giant’s many “properties.” Look for LinkedIn’s ads to cover far more people and be much more useful to the average marketer.

LinkedIn offers a Lookup tool for businesses to find other contacts at a company and learn about them through their social network profile. Microsoft plans to integrate LinkedIn Lookup into the Active Directory, so in addition to network profile information, a person’s LinkedIn data will pop up.

In addition, LinkedIn offers a service called Learning, wherein users can participate in digital courses, learning events and other opportunities to learn new skills. While it’s unclear exactly how it will work, Microsoft says the learning platform will be integrated into Office 365 and the “Windows ecosystem,” so users can have more places to brush up on the topics that matter most to them.

Since LinkedIn is a place where news often is published by both users and brands, Microsoft sees an opportunity to boost its own content services. In fact, the company will create a “business news desk” that will span its content sites, including MSN, and deliver LinkedIn content to readers.

Microsoft wants to improve the sales experience across its Sales Navigator and Dynamics 365 platforms, and believes LinkedIn could be just the ticket to help it do that. Microsoft believes it can “redefine” social selling through the platforms by using some LinkedIn services. It’s not clear how it plans to achieve that goal, but look for social elements to come to the sales process in short order.

In a statement celebrating the acquisition, Nadella said his ultimate goal is to improve productivity for users of both Microsoft services and LinkedIn. He noted his initiatives with LinkedIn will focus on users developing new skills, finding new jobs and being able to “connect and collaborate with colleagues.” The tie-up between Office and LinkedIn, he believes, will help Microsoft accelerate that goal.