Microsoft announced Monday morning it bought the software development company GitHub for some $7.5 billion in shares. The latter was valued at 2 billion in 2015.
GitHub is a meeting place where programmers can share their software, interact with other coders and collaborate on projects. The site also hosts free software (open source) that users can download and modify as they please.
“Microsoft is primarily a developer company, and by joining forces with GitHub, we are strengthening our principles of developer freedom, openness and innovation,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “We recognize that we inherit certain responsibilities to the community and will do our best to enable developers to build, innovate and solve the most pressing challenges on the planet.”
The announcement was met with some reluctance on the part of the community of programmers using the GitHub platform. According to Le Journal du geek , some users were worried that Microsoft would try to undermine the open nature of the site, or impose certain fees. Others fear that Microsoft forces the use of some of its tools.
Sign of the atmosphere of concern, the rival of GitHub, GitLab, recorded 10 times more accommodation than normal over the weekend, while the rumor of the purchase ran.
In the announcement announcing the purchase, Microsoft is reassuring. “GitHub will keep its values where the developer is at the forefront and the site will operate independently to provide an open platform for developers from all industries. Developers will be able to continue using the programming languages, tools and operating systems of their choice to carry out their projects, “the statement said.
The sale is expected to be final by the end of 2018.
Brian Shannon is just getting his start a reporter. He attended a technical school while still in high school where he learned a variety of skills, from photography to car mechanics. Brian also helps keep Techno Secrets social media feeds up-to-date.
