Microsoft recently announced its agreement to acquire leading software development platform GitHub. Much of the open source developer platform will remain the same, with Microsoft potentially just using its global channels to make it more accessible for enterprise teams. The acquisition is expected to become official later this year. Here’s what you need to know about the Microsoft-GitHub deal.
Microsoft + GitHub
GitHub has been a popular destination for developers for years, with more than 28 million using it to collaborate with one another and create new innovations. Microsoft has already been making use of this platform before the acquisition. As a developer-focused company, Microsoft hopes that this latest announcement will allow its own team to continue building technology while also empowering other developers to innovate.
Microsoft also expressed its commitment to open source. In contributing to open source projects, the company says that some of its most vibrant tools and frameworks for developers have been part of open source projects. And it plans on continuing to invest in these types of projects going forward as well.
When the deal does officially close, GitHub will still feature a leadership team of open source veterans, while current GitHub CEO Chris Wanstrath will join Microsoft as a technical fellow.
What does the Microsoft-GitHub deal mean for developers?
When it comes to developers and how they can actually use the platform going forward, Microsoft says that it will work to empower users through every step of the development process, accelerating enterprise developers specifically through its direct sales, partner channels, and global cloud infrastructure. Developers will still be able to use all of the current programming languages, tools, and operating systems throughout GitHub for their projects and deploy their code on any cloud or device. Microsoft also says that GitHub will remain an open platform.
Featured image: Shutterstock / Microsoft / Github
