---
title: "Microsoft Embraces R"
published_at: "2015-01-30T18:40:00+00:00"
modified_at: "2018-09-11T09:45:30+00:00"
url: "https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/post/microsoft-embraces-r"
excerpt: "On January 23, Microsoft announced that it would be acquiring Revolution Analytics. With this step, Microsoft is jumping into the world of R, the powerful, open-source programming language for statistical computing and predictive analytics. The company intends to utilize Revolution..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Company"
  - "eBook"
  - "Succinctly series"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "Microsoft"
  - "open source"
  - "R"
  - "Succinctly Series"
---

# Microsoft Embraces R

[Darren West](https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/author/darrenw)

![Image](https://www.syncfusion.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/microembro_r.png)

On January 23, Microsoft [announced](http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2015/01/23/microsoft-acquire-revolution-analytics-help-customers-find-big-data-value-advanced-statistical-analysis/)
 that it would be acquiring [Revolution Analytics](http://www.revolutionanalytics.com/)
. With this step, Microsoft is jumping into the world of R, the powerful, open-source programming language for statistical computing and predictive analytics. The company intends to utilize Revolution Analytics’ products to improve R integration with Microsoft platforms in a wide variety of settings, including Microsoft Azure.

While some have expressed [skepticism](http://www.forbes.com/sites/danwoods/2015/01/27/microsofts-revolution-analytics-acquisition-is-the-wrong-way-to-embrace-r/)
 at the announcement, others have [praised](http://www.infoworld.com/article/2876535/application-development/can-microsoft-make-r-easy.html)
 the [potential](http://www.rcrwireless.com/20150128/big-data-analytics/microsoft-acquires-revolution-analytics-beef-big-data)
in this acquisition, citing the need for R to improve its usability. With Microsoft’s expertise and resources behind it, R may become more user-friendly and easier to integrate with, at the least, leading Microsoft platforms. Coupled with Microsoft’s other open-sourced efforts, such as work with the Apache Hadoop community, and it could well be a major contribution to the field.

What do you think of this announcement? If you have some insight into the strengths and limitations of R and how Microsoft could handle it going forward, let us know in the comments or on Twitter [@syncfusion](https://twitter.com/Syncfusion)
. If you don’t know enough about R to judge, now is a great time to learn more by visiting Syncfusion’s [Succinctly series](https://www.syncfusion.com/ebooks)
 e-book library and downloading a free copy of [R Succinctly](https://www.syncfusion.com/ebooks/rsuccinctly)
.