Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Best known for its Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity suite, the company is one of the world's largest and most influential technology firms.
Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, Microsoft initially focused on developing and selling BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. The company rose to prominence in the 1980s with the MS-DOS operating system, which became the foundation for IBM-compatible PCs. The release of Microsoft Windows in 1985 established a graphical user interface that eventually dominated the personal computer market.
History
Microsoft's early success came from its contract with IBM to provide an operating system for the IBM Personal Computer. The company leveraged this to license its software to other manufacturers, creating the PC clone market. The launch of Windows 95 marked a major milestone, integrating the operating system with Internet Explorer and the Start Menu.
In the 2000s, Microsoft faced antitrust litigation in the United States and Europe over its monopoly practices. The company diversified into gaming with the Xbox console, enterprise software with Microsoft Dynamics, and cloud computing with Azure. Under CEO Steve Ballmer (2000–2014), Microsoft expanded its hardware offerings, including the Surface line of computers.
Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, shifting the company's focus to cloud-first, mobile-first strategies. Key acquisitions under Nadella include LinkedIn (2016), GitHub (2018), and Activision Blizzard (2023). The company also revived its mobile ambitions with Windows 10 Mobile (later discontinued) and developed the Microsoft Edge browser based on Chromium.
Features
Microsoft's product ecosystem includes:
- Windows: The flagship operating system, used on the majority of personal computers.
- Microsoft 365: A subscription-based suite of productivity tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Azure: A cloud computing platform competing with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform.
- Xbox and Game Pass: A gaming division including consoles, services, and Xbox Game Pass subscription.
- Surface: A line of premium laptops, tablets, and all-in-one devices.
- LinkedIn: A professional social network acquired for $26.2 billion.
- GitHub: The world's largest code hosting platform, acquired for $7.5 billion.
Microsoft also develops Visual Studio, .NET, and the C# programming language, and is a major contributor to open-source projects such as TypeScript and VS Code.