As China came under fire for using Twitter to tarnish the Hong Kong protests, a report in a US newspaper said the Communist nation has been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/how-china-spies-on-foreign-computers-microphones-installed-in-desks-and-walls-8037">hiring spies</a> through social <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-senators-concerned-about-chinese-access-to-intellectual-property-32783">networking</a> site LinkedIn.&nbsp;

Watch video:&nbsp;China is using LinkedIn to hire spies

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LinkedIn, a US-based site with 645 million users meant to connect professionals has become a breeding ground for espionage, the New York Times said in its report.

The company owned by Microsoft is the only major US social media site not banned in China.

Intelligence agencies in Britain, France and the US have warned about covert Chinese activities and hiring through LinkedIn.

Chinese agents often make offers over various channels, including LinkedIn, to bring the prospective recruit to China, sometimes through the guise of a corporate recruiting firm, the report revealed.

The NYT report stated that some LinkedIn accounts vanished mysteriously after it was found to be a covert account of the Chinese.

The report quoted William Evanina, director of the US National Counterintelligence saying that instead of sending a spy to America, China now finds it convenient to recruit through a friend request using fake profiles on LinkedIn.

Almost all social media sites in recent years have struggled to detect fake accounts. Twitter last week had said it had closed over 900 fake accounts linked to Hong Kong protests which it had tracked to China, a misinformation campaign which was being carried out from the mainland.

The NYT report said LinkedIn is an “ideal” platform for espionage recruitment.

The US newspaper pointed out that “people who have just left the government are especially vulnerable because they are often looking for new employment”.

Not just US officials, the newspaper said French intelligence agencies had told its government that Chinese agents had used LinkedIn to contact 4,000 French individuals.&nbsp;

Similar instances have also been reported by German and British intelligence officials, the NYT report warned.

As China came under fire for using Twitter to tarnish the Hong Kong protests, a report in a US newspaper said the Communist nation has been hiring spies through social networking site LinkedIn.

As China came under fire for using Twitter to tarnish the Hong Kong protests, a report in a US newspaper said the Communist nation has been hiring spies through social networking site LinkedIn. Watch video: China is using LinkedIn to hire spies × LinkedIn, a US-based site with 645 million users meant to connect professionals has become a breeding ground for espionage, the New York Times said in its report. The company owned by Microsoft is the only major US social media site not banned in China. Intelligence agencies in Britain, France and the US have warned about covert Chinese activities and hiring through LinkedIn. Chinese agents often make offers over various channels, including LinkedIn, to bring the prospective recruit to China, sometimes through the guise of a corporate recruiting firm, the report revealed. The NYT report stated that some LinkedIn accounts vanished mysteriously after it was found to be a covert account of the Chinese. The report quoted William Evanina, director of the US National Counterintelligence saying that instead of sending a spy to America, China now finds it convenient to recruit through a friend request using fake profiles on LinkedIn. Almost all social media sites in recent years have struggled to detect fake accounts. Twitter last week had said it had closed over 900 fake accounts linked to Hong Kong protests which it had tracked to China, a misinformation campaign which was being carried out from the mainland. The NYT report said LinkedIn is an “ideal” platform for espionage recruitment. The US newspaper pointed out that “people who have just left the government are especially vulnerable because they are often looking for new employment”. Not just US officials, the newspaper said French intelligence agencies had told its government that Chinese agents had used LinkedIn to contact 4,000 French individuals. Similar instances have also been reported by German and British intelligence officials, the NYT report warned.

China recruiting spies overseas through LinkedIn: Report

LinkedIn Is Now Breeding Ground For Espionage

Gravitas: China Hiring spies through Linkedin

A former Polish security official arrested by Polish authorities has been charged with spying for China while still working for Polish government institutions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency and the Office of Electronic Communications, among other state institutions between 2000 and 2017, according to a LinkedIn profile in his name.&nbsp;

Spokespeople from Poland's national prosecutor's office and security services declined to comment on the Journal's report when contacted by Reuters. Reuters was not able immediately to determine the identity of Durbajlo's lawyers.

On January 11, officials said Durbajlo was arrested along with Chinese national Weijing Wang, an executive of telecommunications equipment maker Huawei, on allegations of spying, in a move that fuels Western security concerns about the Chinese company. The officials did not disclose details of the alleged espionage.&nbsp;

Both men heard charges in a Polish court last week.

Poland's government could consider limiting the use of Huawei products by public bodies in the wake of the arrests, a government official told Reuters on Sunday.

Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with China's government and US-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.

Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency.

A former Polish security official arrested by Polish authorities has been charged with spying for China while still working for Polish government institutions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency and the Office of Electronic Communications, among other state institutions between 2000 and 2017, according to a LinkedIn profile in his name. Spokespeople from Poland's national prosecutor's office and security services declined to comment on the Journal's report when contacted by Reuters. Reuters was not able immediately to determine the identity of Durbajlo's lawyers. On January 11, officials said Durbajlo was arrested along with Chinese national Weijing Wang, an executive of telecommunications equipment maker Huawei, on allegations of spying, in a move that fuels Western security concerns about the Chinese company. The officials did not disclose details of the alleged espionage. Both men heard charges in a Polish court last week. Poland's government could consider limiting the use of Huawei products by public bodies in the wake of the arrests, a government official told Reuters on Sunday. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with China's government and US-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.

Polish man arrested over spying for China while working in government: Report

With commuting to work becoming a major concern for professionals due to clogged roads and lack of public transport, a survey has revealed that most Indians (78 per cent) desire a shorter commute time, with 26 per cent even willing to take a pay cut for the same.

This sentiment of desiring a shorter commute was the highest in India amongst 11 countries globally, according to the survey by professional networking firm LinkedIn.

While almost half of the Indians (48 per cent) said that their commute time has increased in the past one year, around 60 per cent felt their city transportation systems frequently get them late to office, both the factors being highest amongst the countries surveyed.

"The daily commute is a pain-point for most professionals in India. Lack of access to essential information pertaining to skills, referrals, job applications and commute time, can often be a roadblock to finding new opportunities," said Deepa Sapatnekar, head of communications for India, LinkedIn.

Around 47 per cent of the Indians felt more productive at work with a shorter commute time, and 48 per cent preferred a shorter commute so that they don't get tired.

However, almost half of them (42 per cent) said they would be willing to consider longer commute if it meant an increase of more than 20 per cent in their income.

Further, the survey revealed that 33 per cent would opt for a longer commute if given transportation, a promotion, or title increase.

While 40 per cent said they can travel far off for the right job, 31 per cent felt they could compromise on shorter commute if they worked for a brand they admired.

The survey revealed that with the time saved from commuting, 36 per cent like to utilise it for exercising, health and fitness.

The survey represents opinions of LinkedIn's working professionals on their commute in 11 countries across the globe, including India.

This sentiment of desiring a shorter commute was the highest in India amongst 11 countries globally, according to the survey by professional networking firm LinkedIn.

With commuting to work becoming a major concern for professionals due to clogged roads and lack of public transport, a survey has revealed that most Indians (78 per cent) desire a shorter commute time, with 26 per cent even willing to take a pay cut for the same. This sentiment of desiring a shorter commute was the highest in India amongst 11 countries globally, according to the survey by professional networking firm LinkedIn. While almost half of the Indians (48 per cent) said that their commute time has increased in the past one year, around 60 per cent felt their city transportation systems frequently get them late to office, both the factors being highest amongst the countries surveyed. "The daily commute is a pain-point for most professionals in India. Lack of access to essential information pertaining to skills, referrals, job applications and commute time, can often be a roadblock to finding new opportunities," said Deepa Sapatnekar, head of communications for India, LinkedIn. Around 47 per cent of the Indians felt more productive at work with a shorter commute time, and 48 per cent preferred a shorter commute so that they don't get tired. However, almost half of them (42 per cent) said they would be willing to consider longer commute if it meant an increase of more than 20 per cent in their income. Further, the survey revealed that 33 per cent would opt for a longer commute if given transportation, a promotion, or title increase. While 40 per cent said they can travel far off for the right job, 31 per cent felt they could compromise on shorter commute if they worked for a brand they admired. The survey revealed that with the time saved from commuting, 36 per cent like to utilise it for exercising, health and fitness. The survey represents opinions of LinkedIn's working professionals on their commute in 11 countries across the globe, including India.

1 in 4 Indians ready for pay cut for shorter travel time: Survey

After years of refusing to address rumours about his sexuality, Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey said on Sunday he has chosen to live his life as a gay man.

Spacey, 58, who won Oscars for &ldquo;The Usual Suspects&rdquo; and &ldquo;American Beauty,&rdquo; made the declaration in a post on Twitter.

He apologized to fellow actor Anthony Rapp in the same post for an incident Rapp said occurred in 1986. Rapp, who went on to star in the Broadway musical &ldquo;Rent,&rdquo; was 14 at the time and starting his career.

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<a href="https://t.co/X6ybi5atr5">pic.twitter.com/X6ybi5atr5</a>
&mdash; Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinSpacey/status/924848412842971136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Spacey said he was &ldquo;horrified&rdquo; to hear Rapp&rsquo;s story of the encounter, which he said &ldquo;I honestly do not remember&rdquo; because it occurred more than 30 years ago. He also said he owed Rapp a &ldquo;sincere apology&rdquo; for what he said would have been &ldquo;deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.&rdquo;

Rapp&rsquo;s story &ldquo;has encouraged me to address other things in my life,&rdquo; Spacey wrote. &ldquo;I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I now choose to live life as a gay man.&rdquo;

&ldquo;I want to deal with this honestly and openly,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and that starts with me examining my own behavior.&rdquo;

Rapp described in an interview attending a party hosted by Spacey in which the actor picked him up, brought him to a bed and lay down on top of him after other guests left. Rapp, who said he had the impression Spacey was drunk, said he pushed him away and left.

Spacey, a Tony Award winner for &ldquo;Lost in Yonkers,&rdquo; stars in the Netflix political drama &ldquo;House of Cards.&rdquo; He also served for 10 years as artistic director of London&rsquo;s Old Vic theater company.

'I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I now choose to live life as a gay man,' Spacey said on Twitter

After years of refusing to address rumours about his sexuality, Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey said on Sunday he has chosen to live his life as a gay man. Spacey, 58, who won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” made the declaration in a post on Twitter. He apologized to fellow actor Anthony Rapp in the same post for an incident Rapp said occurred in 1986. Rapp, who went on to star in the Broadway musical “Rent,” was 14 at the time and starting his career. pic.twitter.com/X6ybi5atr5 — Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) October 30, 2017 × Spacey said he was “horrified” to hear Rapp’s story of the encounter, which he said “I honestly do not remember” because it occurred more than 30 years ago. He also said he owed Rapp a “sincere apology” for what he said would have been “deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” Rapp’s story “has encouraged me to address other things in my life,” Spacey wrote. “I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I now choose to live life as a gay man.” “I want to deal with this honestly and openly,” he said, “and that starts with me examining my own behavior.” Rapp described in an interview attending a party hosted by Spacey in which the actor picked him up, brought him to a bed and lay down on top of him after other guests left. Rapp, who said he had the impression Spacey was drunk, said he pushed him away and left. Spacey, a Tony Award winner for “Lost in Yonkers,” stars in the Netflix political drama “House of Cards.” He also served for 10 years as artistic director of London’s Old Vic theater company.

Kevin Spacey declares he has chosen to live life as a gay man

US&nbsp;tech firms such as Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc should be more aggressive in tackling extremism and political misinformation if they want to avoid government action, a report from the World Economic Forum said on Monday.

The study from the Swiss nonprofit organization adds to a chorus of calls for Silicon Valley to stem the spread of violent material from Islamic State militants and the use of their services by alleged Russian propagandists.

Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google will go under the microscope of US&nbsp;lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday when their general counsels will testify before three US&nbsp;congressional committees on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

The report from the World Economic Forum&#39;s human rights council warns that tech companies risk government regulation that would limit freedom of speech unless they &quot;assume a more active self-governance role.&quot;

It recommends that the companies conduct more thorough internal reviews of how their services can be misused and that they put in place more human oversight of content.

The German parliament in June approved a plan to fine social media networks up to 50 million euros if they fail to remove hateful postings promptly, a law that Monday&#39;s study said could potentially lead to the takedown of massive amounts of content.

The study from the Swiss nonprofit organization adds to a chorus of calls for Silicon Valley to stem the spread of violent material.

US tech firms such as Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc should be more aggressive in tackling extremism and political misinformation if they want to avoid government action, a report from the World Economic Forum said on Monday. The study from the Swiss nonprofit organization adds to a chorus of calls for Silicon Valley to stem the spread of violent material from Islamic State militants and the use of their services by alleged Russian propagandists. Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc's Google will go under the microscope of US lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday when their general counsels will testify before three US congressional committees on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. The report from the World Economic Forum's human rights council warns that tech companies risk government regulation that would limit freedom of speech unless they "assume a more active self-governance role." It recommends that the companies conduct more thorough internal reviews of how their services can be misused and that they put in place more human oversight of content. The German parliament in June approved a plan to fine social media networks up to 50 million euros if they fail to remove hateful postings promptly, a law that Monday's study said could potentially lead to the takedown of massive amounts of content.

Tech firms must do more on extremism: World Economic Forum

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a strong case for using digital technologies to empower the common man and launched a slew of India-centric initiatives, including a platform to connect semi-skilled workers with employers.

The technology giant also launched a lighter version of its video interaction platform Skype.

&quot;If digital technology is only the purview of the large businesses and the startups, I think that is not sufficient for an economy to make progress,&quot; the India-born Nadella said speaking at a company event.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We&rsquo;ve built Skype Lite for India, it&#39;s lightweight and has <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhar?src=hash">#Aadhar</a> integration built in.<a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella">@satyanadella</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FutureDecoded?src=hash">#FutureDecoded</a>
&mdash; Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MicrosoftIndia/status/834284420093865984">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&quot;We can celebrate technology, but if it doesn&#39;t truly empower every Indian and every Indian organisation to achieve more...We would have achieved nothing,&quot; he said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kaizala will be the best administrative app for any organization to use in real-time over the course of time. -N. Chandrababu Naidu <a href="https://t.co/YYi1vU6Tmk">pic.twitter.com/YYi1vU6Tmk</a>
&mdash; Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MicrosoftIndia/status/834307589240455168">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The global giant introduced the &#39;Sangam&#39; platform, which is based on the world&#39;s largest professional networking site LinkedIn, also owned by the company, which will help the semi-skilled workers get job opportunities.

&quot;We now need to extend this (LinkedIn) to middle skill and low-skill (workers), (provide) vocational training for job opportunities for everyone,&quot; he said, adding that sectors like hospitality can benefit from it.

The platform will also work on helping people to skill themselves for the jobs which are getting created, he said, adding that it is yet to go public and is at the &quot;private preview&quot; stage.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MachineLearning?src=hash">#MachineLearning</a>, chatbots and digital onboarding <a href="https://twitter.com/ZingHR">@ZingHR</a> are using the power of cloud computing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FutureDecoded?src=hash">#FutureDecoded</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DigitalTransformation?src=hash">#DigitalTransformation</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnuKcPCdpi">pic.twitter.com/hnuKcPCdpi</a>
&mdash; Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MicrosoftIndia/status/834343461071495168">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He also announced a new service on LinkedIn called Placements, which will help Indian college graduates land job opportunities in a &quot;democratic&quot; manner as per their skill sets, while pointing out that finding the right job is a &quot;challenge&quot; for graduates in India.

With bandwidth being a concern in India, the company also showcased lighter versions of LinkedIn as well as Skype, its video interaction service.

LinkedIn has 39 million members in India and the new light platform can work even at 2G speeds, he said.

Nadella was quite appreciative of the progress on Aadhaar, and said that India Stack is driving a lot of innovation at Microsoft.

India Stack is a part of Digital India programme aimed at treating information as a utility. Instead of having a top down approach, the government has launched an open application programming interface policy.

Skype&#39;s lighter version, which is available in nine Indian languages, also has an Aadhaar identity tool built-in that can help businesses for purposes like background checks in applications like interviews.

Nadella said there have been improvements in the lives of people in the first digital village of Harisal in the malnutrition-prone Melghat region of Maharashtra and announced to scale up the digital village concept to 100 villages.

The digital village concept touches various facets including banking, payments, public distribution system, classrooms and vocational education, among others, he said, adding that the focus is on electronification.

Nadella also announced that country&#39;s largest lender SBI has decided to move to the Cloud and will be adopting its Office 365 solution.

(PTI)

At the company's Future Decoded event, Microsoft showcased lighter versions of LinkedIn and Skype

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a strong case for using digital technologies to empower the common man and launched a slew of India-centric initiatives, including a platform to connect semi-skilled workers with employers. The technology giant also launched a lighter version of its video interaction platform Skype. "If digital technology is only the purview of the large businesses and the startups, I think that is not sufficient for an economy to make progress," the India-born Nadella said speaking at a company event. We’ve built Skype Lite for India, it's lightweight and has #Aadhar integration built in.@satyanadella #FutureDecoded — Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) February 22, 2017 "We can celebrate technology, but if it doesn't truly empower every Indian and every Indian organisation to achieve more...We would have achieved nothing," he said. Kaizala will be the best administrative app for any organization to use in real-time over the course of time. -N. Chandrababu Naidu pic.twitter.com/YYi1vU6Tmk — Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) February 22, 2017 The global giant introduced the 'Sangam' platform, which is based on the world's largest professional networking site LinkedIn, also owned by the company, which will help the semi-skilled workers get job opportunities. "We now need to extend this (LinkedIn) to middle skill and low-skill (workers), (provide) vocational training for job opportunities for everyone," he said, adding that sectors like hospitality can benefit from it. The platform will also work on helping people to skill themselves for the jobs which are getting created, he said, adding that it is yet to go public and is at the "private preview" stage. #MachineLearning, chatbots and digital onboarding @ZingHR are using the power of cloud computing. #FutureDecoded #DigitalTransformation pic.twitter.com/hnuKcPCdpi — Microsoft India (@MicrosoftIndia) February 22, 2017 He also announced a new service on LinkedIn called Placements, which will help Indian college graduates land job opportunities in a "democratic" manner as per their skill sets, while pointing out that finding the right job is a "challenge" for graduates in India. With bandwidth being a concern in India, the company also showcased lighter versions of LinkedIn as well as Skype, its video interaction service. LinkedIn has 39 million members in India and the new light platform can work even at 2G speeds, he said. Nadella was quite appreciative of the progress on Aadhaar, and said that India Stack is driving a lot of innovation at Microsoft. India Stack is a part of Digital India programme aimed at treating information as a utility. Instead of having a top down approach, the government has launched an open application programming interface policy. Skype's lighter version, which is available in nine Indian languages, also has an Aadhaar identity tool built-in that can help businesses for purposes like background checks in applications like interviews. Nadella said there have been improvements in the lives of people in the first digital village of Harisal in the malnutrition-prone Melghat region of Maharashtra and announced to scale up the digital village concept to 100 villages. The digital village concept touches various facets including banking, payments, public distribution system, classrooms and vocational education, among others, he said, adding that the focus is on electronification. Nadella also announced that country's largest lender SBI has decided to move to the Cloud and will be adopting its Office 365 solution. (PTI)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announces new tech initiatives in India

Facebook on Monday announced it will start testing a new feature that would allow page administrators to post job openings as well as receive applications from them.

&quot;Based on behaviour we&#39;ve seen on Facebook, where many small businesses post about their job openings on their Page, we&#39;re running a test for Page admins to create job postings and receive applications from candidates,&quot; a Facebook spokesman told Reuters.

However, this move could hamper LinkedIn&#39;s business which is popularly used by job seekers and recruiters to make connections and post resumes.&nbsp;

According to TechCrunch, these companies Facebook page will get more traffic while allowing them to pay and make their vacancies visible for job seekers.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

LinkedIn makes most of its revenue from job hunters and recruiters who pay a monthly fee to post resumes and connect with people

Facebook on Monday announced it will start testing a new feature that would allow page administrators to post job openings as well as receive applications from them. "Based on behaviour we've seen on Facebook, where many small businesses post about their job openings on their Page, we're running a test for Page admins to create job postings and receive applications from candidates," a Facebook spokesman told Reuters. However, this move could hamper LinkedIn's business which is popularly used by job seekers and recruiters to make connections and post resumes. According to TechCrunch, these companies Facebook page will get more traffic while allowing them to pay and make their vacancies visible for job seekers. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Facebook takes on LinkedIn with new job opening features

Microsoft Corp agreed to buy LinkedIn Corp for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal, combining the software giant&#39;s fast-growing cloud services business with the world&#39;s largest online network for professionals. 
 
The offer of $196 per share represents a premium of 49.5 per cent to LinkedIn&#39;s Friday closing price. 
 
LinkedIn&#39;s shares jumped by 48 per cent to $194.28 before the opening bell on Monday. Microsoft&#39;s shares were down 3.3 per cent. 
 
&quot;Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn,&quot; Reid Hoffman, chairman of LinkedIn&#39;s board, said in a statement. 
 
Jeff Weiner will remain chief executive of LinkedIn, reporting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. 
 
&quot;I have always had a great admiration for LinkedIn,&quot; Nadella said in a video on Microsoft&#39;s website. &quot;I have been talking with Reid and Jeff for a while ... I have been thinking about this for a long time.&quot; 
 
The deal is expected to close in 2016, the companies said in a joint statement. 
 
Microsoft said it would issue new debt to fund the deal. 
 
After the deal, LinkedIn will become part of Microsoft&#39;s productivity and business processes unit

There has been speculation that the next acquistion target could be Twitter

Microsoft Corp agreed to buy LinkedIn Corp for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal, combining the software giant's fast-growing cloud services business with the world's largest online network for professionals. The offer of $196 per share represents a premium of 49.5 per cent to LinkedIn's Friday closing price. LinkedIn's shares jumped by 48 per cent to $194.28 before the opening bell on Monday. Microsoft's shares were down 3.3 per cent. "Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn," Reid Hoffman, chairman of LinkedIn's board, said in a statement. Jeff Weiner will remain chief executive of LinkedIn, reporting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "I have always had a great admiration for LinkedIn," Nadella said in a video on Microsoft's website. "I have been talking with Reid and Jeff for a while ... I have been thinking about this for a long time." The deal is expected to close in 2016, the companies said in a joint statement. Microsoft said it would issue new debt to fund the deal. After the deal, LinkedIn will become part of Microsoft's productivity and business processes unit

Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal

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