https://ask.audio/articles/microsoft-working-on-daw-to-challenge-apples-garageband-logic-pro

Somewhere else here on the forum there's a post with links to Microsoft job postings probably related to that. Looked like a "store it in the cloud" future product.

That speculation is based on a single job posting. Required experience is given as "digital audio workstations, virtual instruments, game audio soundscapes, or other examples of audio in software", and the job entails "building a software platform that enables new music entertainment scenarios". Which sounds pretty generic, and not DAW-specific.
 
Microsoft employs a lot of people - 120,000 last time I checked. That's more than there are people in the city I live in. Did you know that MS has a beautiful state-of-the-art recording studio in Redmond? There are people drawing a healthy paycheck with full benefits to work there. Of course, they're not recording the Rolling Stones in there. Mostly voice-overs, sfx and music for video games. But still, it's got to be a sweet gig.
 

Could you just imagine if Microsoft acquired Cakewalk from Gibson, it could become the Garage Band and Logic of Windows!!!

It could happen, if Noel finds out about that job posting. Free all-you-can-drink sodas, Noel!

Free coffee too!!

It would probably be easier for Microsoft to simply buy Cakewalk and develop a free version of it to be included in Windows. Has worked well for Apple users who use Garageband. Some people won't move from Garageband X...ever. They don't feel they need the upgrade to Logic.
 
Sonar would make a great choice since it's a windows program closely integrated since the very beginning and on into cutting edge features.

Microsoft has plenty of cash, so why not?

I don't know that I would like MS buying Cakewalk. They likely wouldn't be nearly as generous with letting Cakewalk run on it's own, making it's own decisions like Gibson has. They would more likely swoop in with their own team and really bugger everything up or do things with Sonar that simply shouldn't be done... like discontinue the stand alone application and make it strictly a Windows Store app or try and merge it with a bunch of other pointless crap.
 
If you look at the track history with their acquired companies, it's not the best.

abacab
Could you just imagine if Microsoft acquired Cakewalk from Gibson, it could become the Garage Band and Logic of Windows!!!

NO, I don't want MS anywhere near Sonar! It may cost us in the end.
 
If you are old enough to remember Lotus 123 then you may know that IBM's take over  of 123 ended 123.  There were things that 123 could do that AFAIK Excel still can do, like make your own menus.  That might happen if MS takes over Sonar.
 
MS might even charge $100 or more a year for a DAW, much like it does with Office.
 
I say let them take over Cubase, PreSonus or any other DAW but leave Sonar alone.
 
YMMV