What Is Microsoft?
Microsoft is a leading global software company. It offers a broad range of products, services and platforms that span productivity and business processes, intelligent cloud, and personal computing. Its flagship products include Windows operating system, Microsoft Office suite of applications and the Microsoft Surface series of devices. It also provides cloud computing services through Azure and a range of tools for developers, including Visual Studio and GitHub. The company also sells a variety of hardware and game consoles, as well as online search and social media services through Bing and LinkedIn.
The company was founded in 1975 by Harvard University classmates Bill Gates and Paul Allen. They partnered to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, an early computer. Over the next several years, they expanded their business to include a number of software products and a graphical user interface. The company grew into the dominant vendor in the computer industry, beating out competitors such as Lotus and WordPerfect. In the late 1980s, Microsoft deepened its lead in operating systems with the release of Windows 95, which introduced a graphical interface that hundreds of millions of people now use on a daily basis.
In addition to Windows, the company produced several other software products that have left a lasting impact on the technology field. Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program, helped to revolutionize the way businesses organize and store data. Microsoft Word, a word processing program, allowed users to create professional documents and to collaborate on them with others. The company also released the first version of the Xbox gaming console, which was graphically superior to its rivals and was sold at a very competitive price point.
The company also operates a number of research laboratories around the world. These labs enable the company to continue to invest in new technologies and develop products ahead of its competition. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington and has offices worldwide.
The company’s stock is a widely held one and its biggest shareholders are institutional investors, which hold more than 70% of the total shares. The largest is Vanguard Group Inc, which holds 8.4% of the shares, followed by BlackRock Inc with 6.8% and State Street Corp with 4.2%. Microsoft’s current CEO is Satya Nadella, who joined the company in 1992 and has been at the helm since 2014. He is widely considered to have led the company’s transition to the cloud platform. Microsoft’s success in this area has largely been attributed to his management style and strategic vision for the company. In addition, he has focused on corporate social responsibility initiatives to ensure that the company acts ethically and has a positive effect on society. These efforts have been widely recognized and lauded by the business community and the public.
