Microsoft

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Multinational technology conglomerate

• Mission

  Enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential by creating technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate

• Founders

  Bill Gates, Paul Allen

• Industry

  Software - Infrastructure

• Employees

  228,000

• Criticisms

  Monopolistic practices, software usability, robustness, and security

• Founded Date

  1975-04-04

• Headquarters

  Redmond, Washington, United States

• Global Presence

  Offices in more than 100 countries

• Initial Purpose

  Develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800

• Market Dominance

  Personal computer operating system market, office software suite market (since 1990s)

• Key Hardware Products

  Surface lineup of personal computers, Xbox video game consoles (Xbox network), Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 accessories

• Key Software Products

  Windows operating systems, MS-DOS, Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft 365, Internet Explorer, Edge, Bing, MSN, Outlook.com, Azure, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio

• Market Capitalization

  Reached trillion-dollar market cap in April 2019

Timeline

• Microsoft Corporation was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia, Wikidata)

  1975-04-04

• The company was registered under the name 'Micro-Soft' with the Secretary of State of New Mexico. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1976-11-26

• Microsoft's first international office was founded in Japan, initially named 'ASCII Microsoft' (now 'Microsoft Japan'). (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1978-11-01

• Microsoft moved its headquarters from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Bellevue, Washington. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1979-01

• Steve Ballmer joined the company. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1980-06-11

• The company restructured to become an incorporated business in Washington, changing its name to 'Microsoft Corporation, Inc.'. Bill Gates became president and chairman of the board, and Paul Allen became executive vice president and vice chairman. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1981-06-25

• Paul Allen left the company. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1983

• Microsoft issued its Initial Public Offering (IPO), creating numerous millionaires among its employees. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia, Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1986-03

• Microsoft introduced the earliest version of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity applications. (Source: Web Search Results (History of Microsoft))

  1989-08

• Became market-dominant in the IBM PC-compatible operating system market and the office software suite market. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  1990

• Steve Ballmer replaced Bill Gates as CEO. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2000-01

• Acquired Danger Inc. (Source: DBPedia)

  2008

• Acquired Skype Technologies for $8.5 billion. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2011-05

• Launched its first in-house PC line, the Surface. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2012-06

• Satya Nadella took over as CEO, shifting the company's focus towards cloud computing. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2014-02

• Acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2016-12

• Reclaimed its position as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. (Source: DBPedia)

  2018

• Reached a trillion-dollar market capitalization, becoming the third U.S. public company to do so. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2019-04

• Established the Microsoft Gaming division to support the Xbox brand. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2022

• Acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2023

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windows, and the company has since expanded to Internet services, cloud computing, video gaming and other fields. Microsoft is the largest software maker, one of the most valuable public U.S. companies, and one of the most valuable brands globally. Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows. During the 41 years 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, and 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 took over as CEO in 2014, the company has changed focus towards cloud computing, as well as its large acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in 2016. Under Nadella's direction, the company has also expanded its video gaming business to support the Xbox brand, establishing the Microsoft Gaming division in 2022 and acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in 2023. Microsoft has been market-dominant in the IBM PC–compatible operating system market and the office software suite market since the 1990s. Its best-known software products are the Windows line of operating systems and the Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 suite of productivity applications, which most notably include the Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet editor, and the PowerPoint presentation program. Its flagship hardware products are the Surface lineup of personal computers and Xbox video game consoles, the latter of which includes the Xbox network; the company also provides a range of consumer Internet services such as Bing web search, the MSN web portal, the Outlook.com (Hotmail) email service and the Microsoft Store. In the enterprise and development fields, Microsoft most notably provides the Azure cloud computing platform, Microsoft SQL Server database software, and Visual Studio. Microsoft is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta. In April 2019, Microsoft reached a trillion-dollar market cap, becoming the third public U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion. It has been criticized for its monopolistic practices, and the company's software has been criticized for problems with ease of use, robustness, and security.

Web Search Results

• Microsoft - Wikipedia

  Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington.( Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windows, and the company has since expanded to Internet services, cloud computing, video gaming and other fields. Microsoft is the largest software maker, one of the most valuable public U.S. companies,( and one of the most valuable brands globally. [...] Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows. During the 41 years 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 [...] Microsoft has been market-dominant in the IBM PC–compatible operating system market and the office software suite market since the 1990s. Its best-known software products are the Windows line of operating systems and the Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 suite of productivity applications, which most notably include the Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet editor, and the PowerPoint presentation program. Its flagship hardware products are the Surface lineup of personal computers and Xbox

• Business Description - Microsoft

  ### GENERAL Microsoft was founded in 1975. Our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential by creating technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate. We develop and market software, services, and hardware devices that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people's lives. We do business worldwide and have offices in more than 100 countries. [...] Our products include operating systems for computing devices, servers, phones, and other intelligent devices; server applications for distributed computing environments; productivity applications; business solution applications; desktop and server management tools; software development tools; video games; and online advertising. We also design and sell hardware devices including Surface RT and Surface Pro, the Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment console, Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 accessories, [...] We conduct research and develop advanced technologies for future software, hardware, and services. We believe that we will continue to grow and meet our customers' needs by delivering a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work, and on the go, for the activities they value most. We will continue to create new opportunities for partners, increase customer satisfaction, and improve our service excellence, business efficacy,

• Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Company Profile & Facts

  third-party content; Xbox game pass and other subscriptions, cloud gaming, advertising, third-party disc royalties, and other cloud services; and search and news advertising, which includes Bing, Microsoft News and Edge, and third-party affiliates. The company sells its products through OEMs, distributors, and resellers; and directly through digital marketplaces, online, and retail stores. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. [...] Microsoft Corporation develops and supports software, services, devices and solutions worldwide. The Productivity and Business Processes segment offers office, exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft viva, and Microsoft 365 copilot; and office consumer services, such as Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions, Office licensed on-premises, and other office services. This segment also provides LinkedIn; and dynamics business solutions, including Dynamics [...] ### Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 United States 425 882 8080 Sector:Technology Industry:Software - Infrastructure Full Time Employees:228,000 ### Description

• History of Microsoft - Wikipedia

  As of June 30, 2015, Microsoft has a global annual revenue of US$86.83 billion (~$109 billion in 2023) and 128,076 employees worldwide.( It develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices.( 1975–1985: The founding of Microsoft ------------------------------------ [edit] Image 7 Altair 8800 computer with the popular Model 33 ASR Teletype as terminal, paper tape reader, and paper tape punch. [...] Allen came up with the original name of _Micro-Soft_, a portmanteau of microcomputer and software.( Hyphenated in its early incarnations, on November 26, 1976, the company was registered under that name with the Secretary of State of New Mexico. The first employee Gates and Allen hired was their high school collaborator Ric Weiland.( The company's first international office was founded on November 1, 1978, in Japan, entitled "ASCII "ASCII (company)") Microsoft" (now called "Microsoft Japan"), [...] Steve Ballmer joined the company on June 11, 1980, and would later succeed Bill Gates as CEO( from January 2000 until February 2014. The company restructured on June 25, 1981, to become an incorporated business in its home state of Washington (with a further change of its name to "Microsoft Corporation, Inc."). As part of the restructuring, Bill Gates became president of the company and chairman of the board, and Paul Allen became executive vice president and vice chairman.( In 1983, Allen left

• History of Microsoft and Its Major Milestones - Interesting Engineering

  MITS liked what they saw and agreed to distribute and market the product under the name of Altair BASIC. This deal inspired Gates and Allen to found their own software company, and in April of 1975, Microsoft was born. [...] data-sheets-value="{"><div><div>Microsoft is founded</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 115.2px;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-numberformat="{">January 1979</td><td style="width: 318.933px;" data-sheets-value="{"><div><div>Microsoft moves from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Bellevue, Washington</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 115.2px;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-numberformat="{">June 1981</td><td style="width: 318.933px;" data-sheets-value="{"><div><div>The company is [...] data-sheets-numberformat="{">March 1986</td><td style="width: 318.933px;" data-sheets-value="{"><div><div>The company issues its IPO</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 115.2px;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-numberformat="{">August 1989</td><td style="width: 318.933px;" data-sheets-value="{"><div><div>Microsoft introduces the earliest version of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity applications</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 115.2px;" data-sheets-value="{"

• Award

  BigBrotherAwards

• Image

  

• Country

  United States

• Founder

  Bill Gates

• Employees

  228,000

• Instance Of

  Q43229

• Headquarters

  Redmond

• Inception Date

  4/4/1975

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washington, United States. Its best-known software products are the Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers. Microsoft ranked No. 21 in the 2020 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue; it was the world's largest software maker by revenue as of 2019. It is one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta. Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows. 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 and has made a number of corporate acquisitions, their largest being the acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in December 2016, followed by their acquisition of Skype Technologies for $8.5 billion in May 2011. As of 2015, Microsoft is market-dominant in the IBM PC compatible operating system market and the office software suite market, although it has lost the majority of the overall operating system market to Android. The company also produces a wide range of other consumer and enterprise software for desktops, laptops, tabs, gadgets, and servers, including Internet search (with Bing), the digital services market (through MSN), mixed reality (HoloLens), cloud computing (Azure), and software development (Visual Studio). Steve Ballmer replaced Gates as CEO in 2000, and later envisioned a "devices and services" strategy. This unfolded with Microsoft acquiring Danger Inc. in 2008, entering the personal computer production market for the first time in June 2012 with the launch of the Microsoft Surface line of tablet computers, and later forming Microsoft Mobile through the acquisition of Nokia's devices and services division. Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO in 2014, the company has scaled back on hardware and has instead focused on cloud computing, a move that helped the company's shares reach its highest value since December 1999. Earlier dethroned by Apple in 2010, in 2018 Microsoft reclaimed its position as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. In April 2019, Microsoft reached the trillion-dollar market cap, becoming the third U.S. public company to be valued at over $1 trillion after Apple and Amazon respectively. As of 2022, Microsoft has the fourth-highest global brand valuation. Microsoft has been criticized for its monopolistic practices and the company's software has been criticized for problems with ease of use, robustness, and security.