When Microsoft purchased LinkedIn in a cash deal for $196 a share, equating to $26.2 billion, it was clearly stipulated in the deal that LinkedIn would retain its unique social culture and brand, and remain independent from Microsoft, in terms of identity.

This deal has very interesting implications for developers, designers, and the networking process. One of the biggest and most positive possible changes for web developers and designers is the new advantage of having sit downs with actual leads or clients in meetings and perform face-to-face discussions.

This will be made possible through Microsoft's personal digital assistant, Cortana. Microsoft is looking to widely extend the capabilities of its trademarked digital assistant through its acquisition of LinkedIn.

Because of LinkedIn's vast database of businesses, brands and professionals, there is a high possibility in the near future that developers and designers will head to meetings with prospective leads or clients to do presentations and provide proposals armed with professional and publicly personal information about them. Gaining these details will be through the use Microsoft's Office products, which would be linked with Cortana. This upcoming feature will help professionals to perform the highest level of personalized marketing and sales offers possible.

Thanks to the acquisition, LinkedIn's newsfeed is set to be transformed into a feasible feed that presents developers and designers with details of high relevance to the projects they are working on. At the same time, Office 365 could recommend, based on the LinkedIn data, possible collaboration options.

The Microsoft-LinkedIn deal has big implications for web professionals who are looking to take networking a notch higher. With a large number of web professionals within the LinkedIn network using Microsoft's products like Office 365 and Cortana, expect an increase in activity within this network.