Salesforce.com Inc has agreed to buy workplace messaging app Slack Technologies Inc in a $27.7 billion deal. The deal is the largest purchase by the cloud-computing pioneer. The deal represents a belief by executives that remote work is the future of the workplace. The deal also sharpens Salesforce.com Inc.'s rivalry with Microsoft. The acquisition of Slack enable Salesforce to provide a unified platform for businesses to connect their employees, customers and partners with each other and the apps they use. For Slack, the deal may give the company the additional resources it need to fully capitalize on the switch to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Slack has been struggling with technology infrastructure as they have seen larger surges of users than their systems are accustomed to.
See "Salesforce Purchases Slack in $27.7 Billion Deal ", Munsif Vengattil, Reuters, December 1, 2020