Digital Transformation for the Intelligent Cloud and the Intelligent Edge
Microsoft enables digital transformation for the intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. The company is one of the world’s largest software vendors and is known for its Windows line of operating systems, Office suite of productivity applications, Xbox gaming consoles, and Surface line of tablet hardware. The company has also entered the media world, creating electronic publishing titles such as the Encarta multimedia encyclopedia and MSNBC.
Harvard University classmates Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975 to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, an early experimental personal computer. After Microsoft’s first products failed to gain traction, the company turned to graphical systems software and created Windows, a program that allowed users to create their own interfaces and programs using a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. Microsoft introduced the Xbox video game console system in 2001 as a competitor to established electronics companies such as Sony and Nintendo. Microsoft boosted its presence in the cloud computing market by introducing the Azure platform in 2008 and offering it as a competitor to Amazon Web Services.
In addition to graphical software, Microsoft offers other business products such as the Word processor and the Excel spreadsheet program. The company is also involved in the creation of a range of handheld devices, including its Surface line of tablets and the Microsoft Band wearable device. Microsoft is an international company, with subsidiaries present in a number of countries to harvest local markets. Its global presence allows the company to funnel profits back up to its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and to pay dividends to investors in its common stock.
Throughout its history, Microsoft has faced criticism over various aspects of its products and business practices. The company has been accused of monopolistic behavior, and its software has been criticized for problems with ease of use, robustness, and security. It has been a frequent target of hacking attacks, and after Russian hackers exploited a flaw in a widely used Microsoft product to attack the U.S. government, the company downplayed its culpability.
Microsoft has been criticised over the use of permatemp workers, in which employees are kept on contract for years without full benefits, and forced retention tactics that require employees to stay with the company for a set period of time or face termination. In addition, the company has been criticized for its poor work-life balance, with some employees suffering from burnout within just a few years at the company.
