That’s because the company plans to make Flipgrid completely free for schools to use. Microsoft did a similar thing with Office 365 Education, which is free in learning institutions. Flipgrid says its mission it to “Empower learners of all ages to define their voices, share their voices, and respect the diverse voices of others.” The company is unlikely to need to deviate from that mission as Microsoft says the platform will operate independently. In it announcement, the company says Flipgrid will continue its own ethos and branding. This is something Microsoft has done before with LinkedIn and GitHub.
Business as Usual
Currently a cross-platform service, Flipgrid will continue to be available on iOS, Android, Chromebooks, and Windows. “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. “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.” The acquisition is important enough that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared in a video welcoming the company to the Redmond family. As mentioned, current subscribers will be able to get a prorate refund now that the platform is free. If you are one of those users, head to this site to claim your refund.
