LinkedIn to buy education firm Lynda.com for $1.5b

LinkedIn Corp. agreed to acquire online-education business Lynda.com Inc. in a deal valued at $1.5 billion (Dh5.51 billion), continuing the professional-networking service’s expansion beyond its roots. The transaction will be 52 per cent in cash and the rest in stock, LinkedIn said Thursday in a statement. The deal is expected to close this quarter, the companies said. Lynda.com, based in Carpinteria, California, offers more than 5,700 courses and 255,000 video tutorials for professional development. The company sells to individuals and large corporate customers. (Bloomberg)