What To Know
- Microsoft would have to pay a significant premium to acquire Slack, and it is not clear that the acquisition would be beneficial to Microsoft’s shareholders.
- Slack and Microsoft Teams are two of the leading players in this market, and they are likely to continue to compete for market share in the years to come.
The answer is a resounding no. Slack is not owned by Microsoft. It is an independent company with its own unique set of owners and investors.
The History of Slack
Slack was founded in 2013 by Stewart Butterfield, Cal Henderson, and Eric Costello. The company was originally known as Tiny Speck and developed a game called Glitch. However, the game failed to gain traction, and the company pivoted to developing a new product.
In August 2013, Slack was launched as a communication tool for businesses. The platform quickly gained popularity due to its ease of use, rich feature set, and integrations with other popular business tools.
The Acquisition of Slack by Salesforce
In December 2020, Salesforce announced that it would acquire Slack for $27.7 billion. The acquisition was completed in July 2021, and Slack became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Salesforce.
The Relationship Between Slack and Microsoft
Despite Slack’s acquisition by Salesforce, it maintains a close relationship with Microsoft. The two companies have partnered to integrate Slack with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft’s own collaboration platform.
This integration allows users to send messages between Slack and Teams, share files, and participate in video conferences. The integration also provides access to Microsoft’s productivity tools, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The Future of Slack
Slack is a valuable asset to Salesforce. It provides the company with a strong foothold in the digital collaboration market and complements Salesforce‘s own CRM and marketing cloud products.
Slack is expected to continue to grow and evolve under Salesforce’s ownership. The company is likely to invest in new features and integrations to make Slack even more valuable to businesses.
Why Slack Is Not Owned by Microsoft
There are several reasons why Slack is not owned by Microsoft.
- Different business models: Slack is a subscription-based service, while Microsoft primarily sells software licenses. This difference in business models makes it difficult for Microsoft to integrate Slack into its own product offerings.
- Competition: Slack and Microsoft Teams are direct competitors in the digital collaboration market. Microsoft would have to pay a significant premium to acquire Slack, and it is not clear that the acquisition would be beneficial to Microsoft’s shareholders.
- Regulatory concerns: Microsoft has a history of antitrust investigations and lawsuits. Acquiring Slack could raise antitrust concerns, which could delay or even prevent the acquisition from being completed.
Final Note: The Future of Digital Collaboration
The digital collaboration market is rapidly evolving. Slack and Microsoft Teams are two of the leading players in this market, and they are likely to continue to compete for market share in the years to come.
It is unclear how the relationship between Slack and Microsoft will evolve in the future. However, it is clear that both companies are committed to providing businesses with the best possible collaboration tools.
Questions You May Have
Q: Is Slack owned by Microsoft?
A: No, Slack is not owned by Microsoft. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Salesforce.
Q: Why is Slack not owned by Microsoft?
A: There are several reasons why Slack is not owned by Microsoft, including different business models, competition, and regulatory concerns.
Q: What is the relationship between Slack and Microsoft?
A: Slack and Microsoft have a close relationship. The two companies have partnered to integrate Slack with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft’s own collaboration platform.
Q: What is the future of Slack?
A: Slack is expected to continue to grow and evolve under Salesforce’s ownership. The company is likely to invest in new features and integrations to make Slack even more valuable to businesses.
Q: What is the future of digital collaboration?
A: The digital collaboration market is rapidly evolving. Slack and Microsoft Teams are two of the leading players in this market, and they are likely to continue to compete for market share in the years to come.
