For every deal like these, there are many more that prove only moderately successful - like, say, Microsoft's 2016 purchase of LinkedIn - or downright disastrous.

Occasionally, deals like Facebook's 2012 purchase of Instagram, Google's 2006 YouTube buy, or its 2007 acquisition of DoubleClick, turn out to be brilliant long plays that fundamentally expand a company's opportunities.That's a bet tech companies keep making - even though most of the time, they lose. Salesforce's likely acquisition of workplace messaging service Slack - not yet a done deal but widely anticipated to be announced Tuesday afternoon - represents a big gamble for everyone involved.įor Slack, challenged by competition from Microsoft, the bet is that a deeper-pocketed owner like Salesforce, with wide experience selling into large companies, will help the bottom line.įor Salesforce, the hope is that adding a hot, widely recognizable brand will give its business-service portfolio an edge.įor all concerned, the wager is that making the right corporate combination can work some transformational magic on the united businesses and make 2+2 equal 5.

Salesforce purchase slack