Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation (MS) is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Microsoft has store locations and corporate campuses worldwide. Some of Microsoft's most recognized products include XBox, Office Suite, Internet Explorer, and the Windows operating systems. As of June 2021, Microsoft employs around 181,000 people worldwide.

Microsoft has made many acquisitions over the years, including the acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in December 2016 and the acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion in May 2011. Microsoft acquired the company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in January 2022. Other acquisitions by the company include GitHub in 2018 and Nokia Devices and Services in 2014.

The company aims to be environmentally conscious and in 2020 announced plans to become carbon negative as well as making the goal to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030.

Microsoft is organized into engineering groups and business functions.

Engineering groups include the following:

• Cloud + AI Group.
• Experiences + Devices.
• Technology + Research.

Microsoft's business functions include the following:

• Business Development.
• Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs.
• Finance.
• Human Resources.
• LinkedIn.
• Marketing.
• Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions.

Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Originally it was a small computer software company, working with the company Altair. In 1980, Microsoft partnered with IBM and began creating operating systems for the company. Stocks for Microsoft first went public in 1986. Though Microsoft had been based in Bellevue since 1979, it was in 1989 that they opened their Redmond headquarters. In 1990, the company introduced Windows operating systems, Windows 3.0, following the release of the Microsoft Office suite in 1989.

In 2000, Steve Ballmer took over as CEO of the company. At this time, Microsoft began creating mobile devices and gaming consoles releasing the first Xbox in 2001. Windows Vista and the 2007 Windows Office system were offered to consumers beginning in 2007. The company launched Windows server in 2003. Microsoft began incorporating cloud technology into their software products in 2008, and they launched the Bing search engine that same year. The company produced the first Windows phone in 2010. Satya Nadella became the new chief executive officer for Microsoft in 2014, and that same year the company launched Windows for iPad and acquired Nokia Devices and Services. They first launched their line of Surface tablet computers in 2015.