Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windows, and has since expanded to Internet services, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, video gaming, and other fields. As a Big Tech company, Microsoft is the largest software company by revenue, one of the most valuable public companies, and one of the most valuable brands globally.

AI overview

Microsoft is an American technology company founded in 1975 that became dominant through Windows software and has since expanded into cloud computing, artificial intelligence, gaming, and other technology areas. It is currently the world's largest software company by revenue and one of the most valuable companies globally, making it a major player in the technology industry.

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Key facts

Company.name: Microsoft Corporation
Company.logo: upright=1.15|class=logo-nobg|frameless|alt=Microsoft logo, depicting a square divided into four sub-squares, colored red-orange, green, yellow and blue (clockwise), with the company name appearing to its right
Company.logo_caption: Logo used since 2012
Company.image: Aerial Microsoft West Campus August 2009.jpg
Company.image_upright: 1.15
Company.image_caption: Aerial view of the Microsoft campus in Redmond
Company.type: Public
Company.industry: Information technology
Company.predecessor: Traf-O-Data
Company.founded: in
Company.hq_location: Microsoft Campus
Company.hq_location_country

Article

34 sections

Contents

History
1972–1985: Founding
1985–1994: Windows and Office
1995–2007: Foray into the Web, Windows 95, Windows XP, and Xbox
2007–2011: Microsoft Azure, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Microsoft Stores
2011–2014: Windows 8/8.1, Xbox One, Outlook.com, and Surface devices
2014–2020: Windows 10, Microsoft Edge, and HoloLens
2020–present: Acquisitions, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows 11
Corporate affairs
Board of directors
Chief executives
Financial
Subsidiaries
Ownership
Marketing
Layoffs
Unions
United States government
Security challenges
Corporate identity
Corporate culture
Environment
Headquarters
Flagship stores
Logo
Sponsorship
Lobbying and political influence
Philanthropy
Controversies
Involvement in the Gaza war
See also
Notes
References
External links

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to market BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800, Microsoft rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows. From 1980 to 2021 Microsoft released 9 versions of MS-DOS with a median frequency of 2 years, and 13 versions of Windows with a median frequency of 3 years. The company's 1986 initial public offering (IPO) and subsequent rise in its share price created three billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market. Steve Ballmer replaced Gates as CEO in 2000. He oversaw the then-largest of Microsoft's corporate acquisitions in Skype Technologies in 2011, an increased focus on hardware that led to its first in-house PC line, the Surface, in 2012, and the formation of Microsoft Mobile through Nokia. Since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, the company has changed focus towards cloud computing and acquired LinkedIn in 2016. Under his direction, the company has expanded its video gaming business to support the Xbox brand, establishing the Microsoft Gaming division in 2022 and acquiring Activision Blizzard in 2023.