The Rise and Fall of Microsoft
As one of the most popular and valuable companies in the world, microsoft makes a lot of money by producing computers, software and hardware products that are used across multiple sectors from homes to large enterprises. They are not without their share of failures though and have seen a number of projects fall flat on their face. Despite these setbacks however, they continue to experiment with new technology and haven’t hung up their innovation hats altogether. This can be seen in their recent products such as the Hololens – a holographic AR wearable headset.
Founded in 1975 by two college friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen, microsoft is a leading developer of computer software, video games, enterprise platforms, productivity tools, cloud computing services and consumer online and mobile apps. Its operating systems, desktop programs and servers are a key part of the computers and mobile devices used by millions of people around the world.
The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, United States and has a presence in more than 60 countries. The corporation is considered to be the largest provider of PC software and a major producer of computer and gaming hardware in the world. It is also the creator of the popular Bing search engine and a prominent player in the social media and business software markets.
In the 1990s, the company faced challenges due to a series of high-profile product failures and an antitrust lawsuit that nearly bankrupted the company. But it persevered and regained its position as the dominant leader in the IBM-compatible operating system market, the Office software suite market and the Internet search market with its Bing service.
Since the 2000s, the company has expanded into other markets and now operates in a variety of industries. It is a leader in the cloud computing market and offers several server software products as well as its own web browser, Edge, which replaced Internet Explorer. It also owns the Xbox console system and is a significant player in the smartphone market with its Windows Phone platform.
The company also maintains a presence in the digital services market with its LinkedIn professional networking platform and is involved in the virtual reality (VR) market with its HoloLens augmented reality (AR) headset. It is an early investor in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry with its acquisition of the chatbot maker OpenAI and plans to incorporate AI into its products and services.
Despite a number of high-profile failures in recent years, microsoft remains one of the world’s most valuable and powerful companies. The company’s resilience and financial resources allow them to withstand a certain number of failures, and they are able to quickly adapt to changing market trends.
Microsoft has been criticized for its decision to abandon the Windows 8 operating system in favor of its more popular Windows 10 in 2012 and for implementing a controversial user interface with the launch of the Surface tablet in 2012. CNN recently observed that stories on the homepage of the Microsoft news site, which comes pre-loaded on devices running its Edge browser, have included both objectively false and overtly hyper-partisan articles.
