Microsoft has agreed to buy coding platform GitHub for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to be announced late on Monday, June 4.
According to Business Insider, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was a key reason for the platform to agree to the deal. The Redmond-based company has been increasingly investing in open-source technology under the eye of Nadella.
Microsoft is one of the biggest proponents of the platform, with over 1,000 employees actively sharing code.
GitHub is a repository of code where coders can share their work and download others work. It has become increasingly important in silicon valley, where companies such as Apple and Google have also used the service. In 2015, GitHub was valued at $2 billion and it is unclear if that valuation still stands or has changed.
GitHub is central to Microsoft's services with the company using the open source Git version control system for Windows development. Microsoft even hosts its own original Windows File Manager source code on GitHub. At its annual Build conference last month, the company had continued its close work with GitHub by integrating the service into the company's App Center for developers.
San Francisco-based GitHub has been struggling to turn a profit. The company has also been without a CEO for nine months since co-founder Chris Wanstrath left in August 2017. While it is unclear how the acquisition will affect the wider coding community, the move will clearly enable Microsoft to transition to Linux, where it has been investing more lately.
