Microsoft is a world leader in software development and software-related services. Its core products are operating systems, such as Windows and Office, and related software applications and services. It is one of the world’s largest corporations and a major American company. Achieving success in this business is not easy, but Microsoft has overcome many challenges to reach the top. It has faced a variety of criticisms, including accusations that it is violating U.S. antitrust laws and abusing its monopolistic power. However, the company is still profitable, and has become a household name. Its success came from a combination of its technical skills and a business strategy that focused on building a large market share. While its primary business was providing operating systems for personal computers, it also developed other software that served different purposes, including Internet search (with Bing), the digital services market (through MSN), and software development (via Visual Studio). Formed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who both dropped out of Harvard College, Microsoft began as a small, privately held software company in 1975. Its most important product is Microsoft Windows, which has been the world’s most popular PC operating system since 1985. The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, United States, and has an annual revenue of over $2 trillion. Its products include software for personal computers, tablets, smartphones, TVs, and other devices. Founded on April 4, 1975, by Harvard College dropout Bill Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen, Microsoft is the leading software development and operating systems provider in the world. Its products help businesses and consumers to run their daily lives and work more effectively. According to research firm Gartner, Windows holds an 83% market share of the global computer operating system market. Although the majority of desktops are now built with ARM chips and the market for personal computers is declining, Windows remains in the lead. Aside from its dominant position in the operating system market, Microsoft has also maintained a high share of the business software suite market. This includes word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations programs. It is the largest software developer in the world and has been a leader in developing cloud computing technology. Its flagship product, the Windows operating system, is currently used on over 800 million devices worldwide. Microsoft also sells a number of other products and services, including Xbox gaming consoles, Skype, and OneDrive, which stores user data in the cloud. In addition, Microsoft’s consumer-facing services, such as the Xbox Live and MSN, have become very popular among users. The company has also entered the mobile phone market with its Windows Mobile OS, which is used by numerous vendors. There are a number of other products that the company offers to users, but most of these products are for business use. Some of these are aimed at facilitating the collaboration between different employees across the globe. Some of these tools have become complex to navigate and are more useful for project management or CRM, rather than everyday tasks such as emailing. Some also have security and compliance concerns that require a higher level of knowledge than average users might have.