Microsoft is buying code-sharing site GitHub, say reports.

Microsoft’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, finished a
reorganisation of the business in March.
Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

Company is changing its focus from the Windows operating system to tools for developers.

Microsoft is reportedly buying the code-sharing site GitHub, a developer-focused startup that has become a crucial part of the programming industry since it was founded in 2008.

The acquisition would see Microsoft further cement its role as a company built around tools for developers, part of a pivot away from its flagship Windows operating system started by its chief executive, Satya Nadella, four years ago.

According to Bloomberg, which reported details of the potential acquisition, the deal could be announced as soon as Monday. The terms of the acquistion are unclear, but at Github’s last fundraising round, in 2015, the company was valued at $2bn.

More than 24 million developers worldwide use the website to host code and collaborate on programming tasks. The vast majority of those use the site for free, with the trade-off being that the code they share must remain public. Users can pay for private accounts, while larger companies can pay more for the ability to host GitHub’s platform on their own private servers. The paid-for features reportedly bring in around $200m in annual revenue.

By Alex Hern.

Full story at The Guardian.