Microsoft

Microsoft is a multinational technology corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, United States. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Its best-known software products are the Microsoft Windows operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface line of touchscreen personal computers.

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800, Microsoft rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Microsoft Windows. The company's initial public offering (IPO) on March 13, 1986, created an estimated four billionaires and 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees.

Throughout the 1990s, Microsoft significantly expanded its reach beyond operating systems and office productivity suites, venturing into networking, server technology, and the internet. The company faced antitrust scrutiny during this period, particularly concerning its alleged dominance in the web browser market.

In the 21st century, Microsoft has continued to be a major player in the technology industry, adapting to the rise of cloud computing, mobile devices, and artificial intelligence. It has made significant investments in cloud services through its Azure platform, and has acquired companies such as LinkedIn and GitHub to expand its portfolio. Microsoft continues to be one of the world's most valuable companies by market capitalization.