Now that Microsoft owns GitHub, Google admits that it was a lost opportunity. However, it seems that the company is fine with the outcome.
Outbidding Its Rival
According to industry insiders, the two entities had intentions to acquire the popular repository. It appears that the Redmond-based tech firm was able to offer a substantial bid that the search company could not match. On the other hand, some rumors suggest that the results were determined ahead of the announcement.
Sources claim that Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, relied on his connections with Chris Wanstrath to broker the $7.5 billion deal. It is clear that Google also wanted to own GitHub.
"I wouldn't have minded buying them, but it's OK," Diane Greene, Cloud CEO for Google, revealed.
A Worthwhile Acquisition
Tech experts agree that GitHub is very important for a lot of businesses that rely on modern technology. Tech-driven companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook use the web-based hosting service. A representative from the social network firm points out that its engineers collaborate and share open source projects with the community.
Over 28 million developers contribute and share their work on the platform that boasts an estimated 85 million hosted repositories. Now that Microsoft owns it, a lot of users are interested in, and at the same time, worried about the company's plans for the service. It appears that opinions will stay the same even if Google won the bid.
For now, it is unclear if ongoing open source projects owned by Google will continue to use the service. Sources confirm that there are currently two products which continue to be popular with the community. Greene hopes that everything will stay neutral despite the new ownership. Depending on the direction the owner takes, several repositories might opt to cease its contributions.
The Evolution Of Artificial Intelligence
Other than the topic of GitHub and Microsoft ownership, Google continues to discuss concerns regarding its work with AI. Concerns about ethical principles in technology continue to be a hot topic.
Last month, the company showcased exactly how far it has taken machine learning with Duplex demonstration at the 2018 I/O event. The latest controversy involves its partnership with the Pentagon regarding the use of AI with drone footage analysis.
After employees protested against it, the company finally gave in and noted that it would no longer renew its contract after it expires next year.
