LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a California-based company that has developed a professional social networking platform aimed at providing business solutions and networking for companies and individuals. It was founded by Reid Hoffman, Eric Ly, and others in 2002, but was not officially launched until May 5, 2003. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has over thirty-five offices worldwide, with users in over 200 countries. LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft for $26.2 billion on December 8, 2016, but continued to operate as its own brand.

The LinkedIn platform allows professionals and businesses to create user accounts on the website. Free and paid plans are available to suit the various needs of individuals and businesses. The platform can be accessed in a variety of ways, including mobile applications for products and operating systems such as iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia Asha, and Windows. Individual users can create a profile highlighting their professional experience, then network with other users and search for jobs through the platform. Businesses can post job advertisements and news updates, connect with other businesses, and more. LinkedIn also offers a variety of enterprise tools for recruitment, marketing, sales, and education through LinkedIn Business Solutions.