Diversifying Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is the largest developer of personal computer software. Microsoft also publishes books, creates hybrid tablet computers, provides e-mail services, and sells computer peripherals. The company has offices in 60 countries and was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Gates developed a compiler for the Altair 8800, an early computer, and offered to write the program for the manufacturer. The pair eventually wrote an interpreter for BASIC, the mainframe programming language, for the machine.
Windows started as a replacement for Windows XP, but the company struggled with it for many years. The first version of Windows, 1.0, wasn’t released until November 1985. The new version was heavily influenced by Apple’s graphical user interface. It was easier to use than the DOS-based operating system. Windows 2.0 and 3.0 followed, and in 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, a modern operating system that marked the company’s move away from DOS-based applications.
Microsoft is an impressive company, but there are many moving parts. Although its core products such as Windows and Office continue to dominate the market, Microsoft is diversifying its business. Its business units span across cloud services, productivity tools, social media, and devices. Microsoft recently acquired LinkedIn for $26 billion and GitHub for $7 billion. The company is also diversifying itself by investing in new businesses and acquiring startups. The company is making great progress in diversifying its business and expanding its operations to meet customer demands.
While Microsoft spends more money on sales and marketing than on research and development, it has received criticism for various aspects of its products. Many people believe that Microsoft does not provide a pleasant working environment and overworks its employees. The company also has an excessive workload that results in burnout. In addition, there have been reports of employees being fired for being too demanding. Microsoft has responded to this criticism with several new products and improvements. Whether you prefer Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional for Workstations, there is a Microsoft product for you. You should choose wisely.
As the company has continued to expand its portfolio, it has introduced several products that have expanded the world’s digital landscape. In 2001, Microsoft released the first Xbox game console, which was superior to its rivals in terms of graphics, and it utilized the Intel Pentium III processor, a standard PC’s CPU. The company has international operations and has established Microsoft Canada and similar offices in other countries. The profits of these countries are funneled back to Redmond and distributed to MSFT stock holders.
While the company was initially punished, the EU fined Microsoft a much higher sum. The fine was EUR899 million, which is about $1.35 billion, for illegally bundling multimedia software with its Windows operating system and excluding competitors. Despite the fine, Microsoft was not forced to break up the company, but it did deprecate the browser in Windows 10.
