MICROSOFT

Microsoft is a US-based technology company. It was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and quickly grew to become the largest software company in the world. Today, Microsoft is still widely known for its software, but the company also develops hardware and provides many cloud services.

Microsoft’s most recognisable software titles include Windows and Office. Microsoft Windows is the world’s most popular desktop operating system, and Office is the most popular productivity suite. Below is a list of some of Microsoft’s software, hardware, and cloud services.

Microsoft Softwares

Windows – operating system for desktop computers, laptops, and tablets
Office – productivity suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access
Outlook – email and calendar software
Visio – diagramming and vector drawing program
Visual Studio – multi-platform software development IDE for building apps
Skype – video conferencing application
Halo – popular series of video games for Xbox

Microsoft Hardwares

Xbox – video game console first launched in 2001, followed by Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox One X
Surface – line of tablets and laptop computers
HoloLens – head-mounted smartglasses designed for augmented reality
Input devices – Microsoft branded keyboards and mice

Microsoft Services

Bing – web search engine integrated into Windows 10
Outlook.com – free webmail service also used for Hotmail accounts
OneDrive – cloud storage with web-based access
Azure – cloud computing platform for hosting data and deploying applications
Microsoft’s headquarters is in Redmond, Washington, but the company has corporate offices and data centres worldwide. Microsoft Corporation’s ticker symbol is MSFT.