Microsoft

Microsoft

Type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: MSFT SEHK: 4338 Dow Jones Industrial Average component NASDAQ-100 component S&P 500 component
Industry	Computer software Online services Video games
When it was created	Albuquerque, []], UK(April 4, 1975 (1975-04-04))
People who started it	Bill Gates, Paul Allen
Headquarters	Microsoft Redmond Campus, Redmond, Washington, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Satya Nadella (CEO) John W. Thompson (Chairman)
Things made	See listing
Services	See listing
Money earned	US$ 73.72 billion (2012)
Operating income	US$ 21.76 billion (2012)
Net income	US$ 16.97 billion (2012)
Total assets	US$ 121.2 billion (2012)
Total equity	US$ 66.36 billion (2012)
Employees	94,000 (2012)
Website	Microsoft.com
References:

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a company that makes computer software and video games for users around the world. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded the company in 1975. Microsoft makes Windows, Microsoft Office (including Microsoft Word), Edge, MSN and the Xbox One, among others. Most Microsoft programs cannot be downloaded for free - people have to buy them in a shop or online. Some products (like the Windows operating system) are often already installed when people buy a new computer.

Software

Microsoft Windows is an operating system, which means that it is the basic software that makes people's computers work and lets other programs work. The majority of desktop and laptop computers run Windows, and so do some tablet computers and a few smartphones. The latest version of Windows is Windows 10.

Microsoft Office is an office suite. It lets people write documents on their computer with Microsoft Word, make charts and graphs with Microsoft Excel and make presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint.

Internet Explorer is a piece of software that lets people look at things online (known as browsing) and download things from the Internet.

Microsoft also makes other programs for the Internet. Many of them are called Windows Live services, with the name Windows Live put in front of the old name of the service, like Windows Live Hotmail, which is an email service. However, the Windows Live name is not being used much anymore. Microsoft runs a service called Bing on the internet which lets people search for things like photos or information online.

MS-DOS is the first existing operating system developed by Microsoft, used for primitive computers and terminals.

Microsoft Sharepoint is a server tool included in Microsoft Office (2007, 2013). Microsoft Expression series is a web development tool which is now discontinued. Minecraft and many other programs have been bought by Microsoft and developed further.

Services and hardware

Skype is also a service by Microsoft. It was not started by Microsoft, but was later purchased by Microsoft. Skype is a free program that lets people call other people, either through the telephone, or through Skype on the other person's computer.

The Xbox, the Xbox 360 and the new Xbox One are video game consoles, which means they let people play video games when connected to their televisions. Microsoft is one of the three big companies that make video game consoles. The other two are Nintendo and Sony. Xbox Live is a service that lets people play online against other people anywhere in the world. Microsoft also makes many PC games.

Microsoft also has many other small products such as tablet computers and computer peripherals including mice and keyboards that are used with computers. The Microsoft Surface is an example, which is a laptop/tablet convertible.

Other websites

• Main Microsoft Website