Digital Publishing
1 min read

Microsoft acquires GitHub as it goes back to its roots

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Microsoft has agreed to acquire GitHub according to those familiar with the matter. Bloomberg reports that the code-repository company popular with many software developers could announce the deal as soon as today. Stop Press: It has.

GitHub is a vast code repository that has become popular with developers and companies hosting their projects, documentation, and code. Apple, Amazon, Google, and many other big tech companies use GitHub. Despite scathing criticism of open-source code in the early 2000’s, which threatened Microsoft’s entire business model,  the Seattle tech giant is now the top contributor to the site, with more than 1,000 employees actively pushing code to GitHub.

GitHub’s tools have become essential to software developers (including publishers), who use it to store code, keep track of updates and discuss issues. The privately held company has more than 23 million individual users in more than 1.5 million organizations. It was on track to book more than $200 million in subscription revenue, including more than $110 million from companies using its enterprise product, GitHub told CNBC last fall. The platform has been named to CNBC’s Disruptor List five times.

For publishers, using Git and Github can be an essential skill to learn if they want to write code, work in a group, and contribute to open source software such as WordPress.

The tie-up will accelerate enterprise use of GitHub and bring Microsoft’s developer tools and services to new audiences according to a Microsoft executive speaking to CNBC.