What is Microsoft?
microsoft is an American multinational technology company that develops and sells software, computer hardware, consumer electronics and online services. Its best known products include the Windows operating system, its Office productivity suite, and the Internet Explorer web browser. The company also produces the Xbox video game console, the Skype communication service, and the Azure cloud computing platform. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975.
Microsoft is one of the most successful technology companies in history, with an almost uninterrupted string of profitable years and market dominance in some product categories, such as PC operating systems and productivity software. The company’s enormous financial resources allow it to weather the failure of some of its projects and to pursue other opportunities.
The company has many notable achievements, but it has also had some major disappointments. For example, it was late to realize the potential of the Internet and held on to a “Windows or nothing” attitude far too long. Its failure to adapt to the mobile landscape caused it to lose its dominant position in desktop computing.
However, the company has rebounded from these failures by making strategic acquisitions and focusing on customer experience. Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, Microsoft has embraced open source projects and begun to adopt some of the entrepreneurial agility of startups. It now competes with Google in search, cloud computing and the production of mobile devices.
In terms of revenue, Microsoft is the world’s largest software vendor and the biggest supplier of computer hardware. The company’s most profitable products are its Windows and Office software. The company also makes significant amounts of money from its Xbox gaming consoles, Microsoft Health fitness tracker, and the Call of Duty and other popular game franchises.
As of March 20, 2019, the company had a market capitalization of $233.0 billion and employed about 117,300 people worldwide.
Microsoft has a wide range of products and services that appeal to many different types of consumers. Its products can be found in homes, schools and businesses around the globe. Despite the popularity of many of its products, there are some who choose to switch to other vendors for a variety of reasons. These may include a preference for another operating system such as macOS or Linux, specific software requirements or compatibility issues and other factors. For example, some users may choose to use alternatives such as Dropbox or Evernote to manage their files instead of using the built-in file management tools in Windows or Office 365. For this reason, it is important to understand the features and benefits of each product before making a decision to purchase or switch. Microsoft provides a free trial for its software products to help consumers decide which one is right for them. The company also offers a family-friendly subscription service for its software called Microsoft Family Safety. It allows parents to monitor the activity of their children on devices, control screen time and set content restrictions.
