Updated: October 3, 2021 (January 8, 2019)
Analyst Report2018 Acquisitions Hint at Future Direction
- Recent acquisitions suggest Microsoft will invest in artificial intelligence, software development tools, and virtualized data-center operations.
- Customers of acquired products should review exit strategies in case they are dead-ended or folded into incompatible Microsoft products.
Acquisitions can signal that Microsoft is buying technology to enter a market quickly, that internal product development is falling behind competitors, that it needs to improve its talent pool or patent portfolio, or that it is moving to discourage other companies from entering a market.
Microsoft made two large acquisitions in 2018—GitHub and FlipGrid—that could immediately impact its market position within segments. Other recent acquisitions complement existing offerings in areas where Microsoft sees potential future growth, notably artificial intelligence (AI) and software development.
Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft has acquired several companies that complement its existing AI offerings and will help developers more quickly create tools that use AI.
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