Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, Microsoft is one of the largest technology companies in the world. It develops computer software, operating systems, and devices. It also offers Internet services. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft’s primary products are Microsoft Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office software. It also produces a wide range of other software products. It also develops hardware and consumer electronics. It has offices in over 60 countries.
Microsoft started off with the development of BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. Gates and Allen then created other programming languages. In addition, Microsoft developed an operating system for the IBM PC. MS-DOS was introduced in 1981. In the mid-1980s, Microsoft dominated the personal computer operating system market.
In the 1990s, Microsoft shifted its focus to consumer sales. This helped Microsoft achieve higher market shares of the world’s PCs. It also made Microsoft the leading vendor of productivity software.
Microsoft entered the video gaming industry with Xbox. Xbox was released in 2001 and quickly captured second place in the video game market. It faced strong competition from Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii.
In 2007, Microsoft released Vista, which was a new operating system. It offered a variety of features, including a start screen with tiles and the ability to respond to voice commands. The operating system was stable and fast. It was also secure.
Microsoft also entered the mobile phone market. In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype. It bought the company for $8.5 billion.
