LinkedIn 2012 Annual Report Download - page 6

PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
We are the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 200 million members
in over 200 countries and territories as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Through our
proprietary platform, members are able to create, manage and share their professional identity online,
build and engage with their professional network, access shared knowledge and insights, and find business
opportunities, enabling them to be more productive and successful. We believe we are the most extensive,
accurate and accessible network focused on professionals.
Our comprehensive platform provides members with solutions, including applications and tools, to
search, connect and communicate with business contacts, learn about attractive career opportunities, join
industry groups, research organizations and share information. At the core of our platform are our
members, who create profiles that serve as their professional profiles and are accessible by any other
member, as well as (unless a member chooses otherwise) anyone with an Internet connection. We believe
that our platform allows our members to compete more effectively, make better decisions faster and
manage their careers to achieve their full potential. The cornerstone of our business strategy is to focus
on our members first. We provide the majority of our solutions to our members at no cost. We believe
this approach provides the best way to continue to build a critical mass of members, resulting in beneficial
network effects that promote greater utilization of our network, higher levels of engagement and,
ultimately, increased value for all of our members.
We generate revenue from enterprises and professional organizations by selling our Talent Solutions
(formerly Hiring Solutions) and Marketing Solutions offline through our field sales organization or online
on our website. We also generate revenue from members, acting as individuals or on behalf of their
enterprise or professional organization, who subscribe to our premium services. We strive to ensure that
our Talent Solutions, Marketing Solutions and Premium Subscriptions provide both a high level of value
for our customers and also a high degree of relevance for our members. We believe this monetization
strategy properly aligns objectives among members, customers and our entire network and supports our
financial objective of sustainable revenue and earnings growth over the long term.
We were incorporated in Delaware in March 2003 under the name LinkedIn, Ltd. and changed our
name to LinkedIn Corporation in January 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at
2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, and our telephone number is [phone]. Our website
address is www.linkedin.com. We completed our initial public offering in May 2011 and our Class A
common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’) under the symbol ‘‘LNKD’’. Unless
the context requires otherwise, the words ‘‘LinkedIn,’’ ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘Company,’’ ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to
LinkedIn Corporation and our wholly owned subsidiaries.
Our Mission
Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
Our members come first. We believe that prioritizing the needs of our members is the most effective, and
ultimately the most profitable, way to accomplish our mission and to create long-term value for all of our
stakeholders. We will continue to concentrate on opportunities we believe are in the best interests of our
members. Our long-term approach enables us to invest, innovate and pioneer in unexplored segments of
our industry to increase the value proposition for our members through our proprietary platform and
extensive data.
Our solutions are designed to enable professionals to achieve higher levels of performance and
professional success and enable enterprises and professional organizations to find and connect with the
world’s best talent.
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