Salesforce said to have been also keen on LinkedIn

San Francisco

SALESFORCE.COM Inc was a rival potential bidder for LinkedIn Corp in the process leading up to the professional networking website's acquisition by Microsoft Corp, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Salesforce was advised by Goldman Sachs Group Inc in the negotiations, said the sources, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak on the matter. Microsoft, the world's largest software company, on Monday unveiled plans to buy LinkedIn for US$26.2 billion in cash - the biggest deal in its history.