LinkedIn is one of the biggest career-centered social networks, having provided a new venue for connecting with others for job-related reasons. But what are the company's plans for the future? Recent reports seem to imply an expansion into online education.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company posted details on Thursday about its plans to acquire Lynda.com, a popular learning site that provides tutorials for website-building, tech development and other practical skills. LinkedIn Head of Content Ryan Roslansky wrote in a blog post that he "couldn't be more thrilled to welcome the talented lynda.com team to the LinkedIn family today. Together, I believe we can make it even easier for professionals around the world to accelerate their careers and realize their potential through the learning and development of new skills."
Roslansky believes that Lynda will be a key player in the development of LinkedIn's Economic Graph, an initiative for figuring out "how to deploy $10 million in funding to help NYC schools, government, nonprofits, and companies better prepare New Yorkers for in-demand tech jobs."
The purchase of Lynda.com will cost LinkedIn approximately $1.5 billion. The deal will close at the end of this year's second quarter. After the closing, LinkedIn expects most members of Lynda to join the company in one fashion or another.
Lynda.com describes itself as "a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Through individual, corporate, academic and government subscriptions, members have access to the lynda.com video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts."
