Salesforce in Talks to Acquire Slack in Record Software Deal
Salesforce is reportedly negotiating to buy workplace messaging app Slack in a deal that could be announced next week. The potential acquisition ranks among the largest software deals in tech history and gives Salesforce a major weapon against Microsoft Teams.
Salesforce is in active talks to acquire workplace messaging platform Slack, with a potential deal announcement arriving as soon as next week. Following the initial report, Slack shares surge almost 38 percent while Salesforce stock drops roughly 5 percent. Although the exact purchase price remains unconfirmed, Slack's market valuation quickly balloons past $20 billion on the news.
This potential acquisition represents a massive shift in the enterprise software landscape and ranks among the largest tech deals in history. Analysts note that the move gives Salesforce a powerful collaboration tool to compete directly with Microsoft Teams. By leveraging Salesforce's massive existing customer base, Slack gains a significant advantage in its ongoing battle against Microsoft's dominant communication platform.
The deal highlights Salesforce's aggressive acquisition strategy, following previous multi-billion-dollar purchases of MuleSoft and Tableau. Microsoft previously explored buying Slack for $8 billion in 2016 before launching its own Teams product, which currently boasts 115 million daily active users compared to Slack's 12 million. Spokespeople for both Salesforce and Slack decline to comment on the ongoing negotiations.