Microsoft today said it will buy software development platform GitHub, in a deal worth USD 7.5 billion which will blend two opposite corporate cultures.
The tech giant, based in Washington state, is a heavyweight in terms of software whose source codes are not openly available or modifiable, exactly the counter of GitHub's philosophy.
Created in 2008, GitHub allows developers to cooperatively manage software and has more than 28 million users around the world.
"Microsoft is a developer-first company, and by joining forces with GitHub we strengthen our commitment to developer freedom, openness and innovation," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said in a statement.
"We recognize the community responsibility we take on with this agreement and will do our best work to empower every developer to build, innovate and solve the world's most pressing challenges."
But he said Microsoft and GitHub have already collaborated on projects, and "their vision for the future closely matches our own."
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