Microsoft – The World’s Leading Computer Software Company
The world’s leading computer software company, Microsoft, makes a wide variety of products that run on personal computers and other devices. Its best-known offerings include its Windows operating systems and its Office productivity software. It also produces Xbox video game consoles and online search services. Founded in 1975 in Redmond, Washington, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft now has operations around the world.
The company got its start when Gates and Allen converted BASIC, a mainframe computer programming language, for use on an Altair 8800 microcomputer. In late 1975, they established Microsoft, which took its name from the words microcomputer and software. By the mid-1980s, Microsoft had grown into one of the largest and richest corporations in American history. Its rapid rise, however, spawned resentment and jealousy among rival companies. Critics charged that the company’s practices, such as bundling some of its programs with its operating system and requiring PC makers to install only its Internet Explorer Web browser, violated antitrust laws. Throughout the 1990s, Microsoft was involved in numerous legal battles, eventually being forced to alter some of its business practices.
Despite these setbacks, Microsoft continued to grow and expand into new areas of the industry. In the 1990s, it became a leader in the field of productivity software, with its Word and Excel programs outpacing longtime rivals such as Lotus and WordPerfect. It also dominated the field of home computer operating systems, with its Windows versions surpassing competitors such as Apple’s Macintosh. It entered the media world, too, with its Encarta multimedia encyclopedia and a cable television news venture that later became MSNBC.
In 2001, the company launched its Xbox line of video game consoles. The consoles were incredibly graphics-intensive and required expensive, powerful PC processors to run. They also prompted rivals to start their own competing consoles. After some initial financial troubles, Microsoft refocused its strategy and improved its gaming consoles. It also began offering cloud computing services, which it continues to develop and expand today.
In 2018, Microsoft purchased GitHub, an open source software development platform, strengthening its presence in the software community. It also created a new top-level domain, cloud.microsoft, which allows Microsoft to create apps and websites with a suffix that provides extra security, privacy and protection from spoofing. Satya Nadella has been CEO of Microsoft since February 2014. He has steered the company toward cloud and mobile services, while maintaining its commitment to Windows and Xbox. He has also been an active investor in the tech startup scene. In addition, he owns the Los Angeles Clippers NBA franchise. He is the richest person in the world with a net worth of more than $180 billion as of 2020.
