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Microsoft

(Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, www.microsoft.com) The most successful software company in the industry. Microsoft's software and Intel's hardware pioneered the PC and revolutionized the computer industry. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, its Windows operating systems are the de facto standards on the desktop and major contenders in the server arena. Microsoft Office is the most successful application suite in history. The company also has a thriving business in programming languages, which are its roots, as well as in numerous other software categories.

Gates and Allen were two college students when they wrote the first BASIC interpreter for the Intel 8080 microprocessor. MBASIC was licensed to Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems to accompany its Altair 8800 kit. By the end of 1976, more than 10,000 Altairs were sold, and versions were licensed to Radio Shack, Apple and others. Although the company became a leader in microcomputer programming languages, its outstanding success was caused by fitting IBM PCs with DOS in 1981 and non-IBM PCs with MS-DOS. In 1990, Windows 3.0, its third version of Windows, was enormously popular. Later, Windows 95 and Windows NT cemented Microsoft's leadership.

After the explosion of the Web, Microsoft worked feverishly to gain a foothold. By giving away its Internet Explorer browser and then integrating it into Windows 98, Internet Explorer became the leading on-ramp to the Internet. The Microsoft Network (MSN) ISP division is also a growing part of the company, and although many do not think of it as such, Microsoft is a very large hardware company. Its 2003 revenues for mice, keyboards, Xboxes and other devices exceeded five billion dollars. See Microsoft trial, Microsoft and IBM, Windows, DOS, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Microsoftie and Altair.

William H. Gates, III

Bill Gates has become the most widely known business entrepreneur in the world, regardless of industry. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)

The Microsoft Campus

This is the main building of the sprawling Microsoft campus. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)

Microsoft - Microsoft Corporation

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No references found	lt;strong>Microsoft pitches Razorfish sale to 5 big ad companies</strong> Microsoft Corp is in the process of pitching to five of the world's biggest advertising companies a deal to buy Razorfish, its digital ad agency. Daily Wrap up July 13 - Tech by International Business Times - US ed. Summary: Aspect, a unified communications (UC) solutions provider, today announced Microsoft Corp. Aspect Successfully Completes Microsoft UC Program by Albawaba.com 22 Kyodo (EDS: RECASTING WITH END OF TRADING) New York stocks turned down Thursday on bleak economic data and disappointing earnings at Microsoft Corp. LEAD: N.Y. stocks plunge on bleak economic, job data by Japan Weekly Monitor	microsegmentation microsegregation microseism microseismic instrument microsensor microseptum Microserf microshrinkage microsilica microsite Microslop Microsloth Windows Microsociology Microsoft Microsoft Access Microsoft and IBM Microsoft Basic Microsoft Bob Microsoft C Microsoft certification Microsoft Certified Solution Developer Microsoft Certified System Engineer Microsoft Certified Systems Developer Microsoft Cluster Server Microsoft Consulting Services Microsoft Corp Microsoft Corp. Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Data Access Components Microsoft DirectAccess Microsoft Disk Operating System Microsoft DLC Microsoft DOS Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics AX Microsoft Dynamics CRM Microsoft Dynamics GP Microsoft Dynamics NAV Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale Microsoft Dynamics RMS Microsoft Dynamics SL Microsoft Dynamics Snap Microsoft Excel Microsoft Exchange Microsoft Expression Microsoft Extended Microsoft font embedding Microsoft Foundation Classes Microsoft IIS Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Microsoft Internet Information Server	Microsoft Classroom Teacher Network Microsoft clip art Microsoft clip art Microsoft Cluster Server Microsoft Cluster Server Microsoft Cluster Server Microsoft Cluster Service Center Microsoft Codeplex Microsoft command line script Microsoft Command Shell Microsoft Commercial Internet System Microsoft Common User Interface Microsoft Communication Protocol Program Microsoft Community Glossary for Vietnamese Microsoft Community License Microsoft Competence Center Microsoft Compiler Microsoft Component Object Model Microsoft Compression Format Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack Microsoft Computer Ballot System Microsoft Configuration Microsoft Configuration Management Application Block Microsoft console game system Microsoft Consulting Line Microsoft Consulting Services Microsoft Consulting Services Microsoft Content Management Server Microsoft Corp Microsoft Corp. Microsoft Corporation Microsoft CRM Microsoft Customer Relationship Management Microsoft Customer Reporting Framework Microsoft Data Access Components Microsoft Data Access Components Microsoft Data Engine Microsoft Data Interchange Microsoft Database Administrator Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance Microsoft Developer Community Day Microsoft Developer Conference Microsoft Developer Network Microsoft Developer Network Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance Microsoft Developer Network Library Microsoft Developer's Studio Microsoft Development Environment Microsoft Diagnostics Microsoft Diagnostics and Repair Toolkit Microsoft DirectAccess Microsoft Directory Service Synchronization Microsoft Directory Synchronization Service Microsoft DirectX

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References in periodicals archive

Encyclopedia browser

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No references found

lt;strong>Microsoft pitches Razorfish sale to 5 big ad companies</strong> Microsoft Corp is in the process of pitching to five of the world's biggest advertising companies a deal to buy Razorfish, its digital ad agency.

Daily Wrap up July 13 - Tech by International Business Times - US ed.

Summary: Aspect, a unified communications (UC) solutions provider, today announced Microsoft Corp.

Aspect Successfully Completes Microsoft UC Program by Albawaba.com

22 Kyodo (EDS: RECASTING WITH END OF TRADING) New York stocks turned down Thursday on bleak economic data and disappointing earnings at Microsoft Corp.

LEAD: N.Y. stocks plunge on bleak economic, job data by Japan Weekly Monitor

microsegmentation

microsegregation

microseism

microseismic instrument