In December, Microsoft received the final regulatory approval it needed to move ahead with its $26.2 billion acquisition of professional networking platform LinkedIn. After the deal closed, Microsoft wasted little time in beginning to integrate LinkedIn with its other products and services.
When details of the acquisition were originally announced, back in June 2016, LinkedIn said that it had 433 million members. That figure was actually reported by the firm in April 2016 as part of its earnings report for the preceding quarter. By October, that figure had grown to 467 million.
Today, LinkedIn said it has "recently crossed an important and exciting milestone", reaching over half a billion members in 200 countries around the world, adding:
This community represents 10+ million active jobs, access to 9+ million companies, and with more than 100,000 articles posted every week, it’s helping you stay informed on the news and views impacting your professional world. A professional community of this size has never existed until now.
The passing of that milestone means that LinkedIn has grown its user base by at least 67 million (around 15%) in the last year.
You can find out more about why Microsoft acquired LinkedIn here.
Source: LinkedIn