Flipgrid Now Free in Wake of Microsoft Acquisition

Microsoft has acquired the social learning platform Flipgrid and is making it free to schools. As an added bonus, those institutions that purchased a license will receive a prorated refund.

Flipgrid is a social-emotional learning system used by more than 20 million educators, students and families worldwide, according to Microsoft. With the acquisition, Microsoft said it plans to keep the service operating across platforms.

"We're thrilled to see the impact Flipgrid has had in social learning thus far and look forward to helping them continue to thrive as part of the Microsoft family," said Eran Megiddo, corporate vice president for Microsoft, in a prepared statement. "We're diligently committed to making sure their platform and products continue to work across the Microsoft, Google and partner ecosystems to benefit students and teachers everywhere."

According to Microsoft: "In joining Microsoft, Flipgrid will retain its distinct brand, culture, and team focused on amplifying the voices of all students. Expanding Flipgrid's accessibility across the global educator community, the company will also align with Microsoft's GDPR, FERPA and COPPA compliant privacy architecture to ensure Flipgrid continues to be a safe, secure place for students and teachers to communicate."

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discusses the acquisition in the video below.

Further details about the acquisition can be found at blog.flipgrid.com/news/bettertogether. Details about the refund for license purchasers can be found at blog.flipgrid.com/refund.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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