The AmbitionBox – What Does Microsoft Have to Offer?
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, two school friends from Seattle, converted BASIC, a popular mainframe computer programming language, for use on an early personal computer called the Altair. The success of this endeavor inspired them to create Microsoft, a company that would eventually become the world’s biggest software maker.
The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Its products include the Windows operating system, the Office suite of productivity applications, the Surface line of touchscreen hardware, and the Xbox gaming consoles. The company also provides cloud computing services through Azure and develops professional-grade software development tools through Visual Studio.
Microsoft dominates several key markets in the technology sector, including the IBM PC compatible operating system market and the office software suite market, although it has lost share in mobile phone operating systems to Android and iOS devices. In addition, the company has a substantial presence in digital search (through Bing), online advertising (through AdCenter), and cloud computing through Azure.
As of March 2016, Microsoft has a market capitalization of USD$780 billion and is the largest software company in the world by revenue. The company has a diverse workforce of 107,300 employees worldwide. Its employees are a critical asset to the company’s success and have contributed to its reputation as one of the best places to work in the US.
However, the company has also been accused of mistreating some of its workers. For example, in 1992 a class action lawsuit was filed against the company by 8,558 current and former employees who had been classified as temporary and freelancers, despite working alongside regular full-time employees. Despite several court setbacks and reversals on appeal, the suit was settled for US$97 million.
In addition to being a leading tech company, Microsoft is also known for its philanthropy. The company contributes to the communities in which it operates, and has a long history of supporting education and the arts through grants. Its donations have ranged from helping fund the construction of a new high school in Houston to funding a theater program at a public middle school in Detroit.
The average rating for microsoft on the AmbitionBox is 4.0 out of 5. Employees rate their experience at the company highly in terms of company culture and career growth. However, they are less satisfied with the company’s pay and benefits.
