Microsoft, one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world, was founded by two individuals who would go on to become icons in the industry. In April 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen created the company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over the years, Microsoft has grown to become a global leader in software, hardware, and cloud computing solutions, with its products and services used by millions of people around the world.
A Short History of Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, is a tech conglomerate with a presence on every continent, producing everything from computer software to gaming consoles. Founded in 1975 by childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company began as just a two-man operation. Along with their first employee Richard Weiland, the trio initially developed and sold BASIC software for Altair computers. Since its humble beginnings, Microsoft has risen to become one of the most respected and well-known companies across the world.
Over the years since its founding, Microsoft has taken great strides in dominating both the desktop PC market as well as mobile & tablet markets. Its Windows Operating System was within 9 months of being launched has gone on to capture over 90% OS market share globally while its Office suite is also counted amongst one of the most popular suites used by businesses around the world. Continuing with its technology advancements it ventured into network computing and product support operations in early 1990s which helped them further deepen its reach across markets. In last decade their Xbox video game console was released to compete head to head against Sony’s PlayStation & Nintendo’s Wii and has gone on sell millions of units across globe ever since then.
Behold, the Dynamic Duo of Digital Domination – Two Computer Geeks!
Paul Allen and Bill Gates were two iconic computer geeks in the early days of computing. Before they made their mark on the world with Microsoft, they were spending countless hours in their school’s devoted computer room, skipping classes to do so. They quickly discovered that they had the skill to hack their school’s computer, and instead of getting punished, they were offered unlimited access to computers as a way of compensating for their actions. Furthermore, while finding themselves in high school, the two collaborated with Paul Gilbert and opened a small business called Traf-O-Data. By creating computers that could count traffic in the city of Seattle, it was a bright step forward for both Allen and Gates towards developing Microsoft.
Allen and Gates have since gone on to become international icons for the advancement of personal computing and technology. Both have cited this time spent together from childhood through high school as an invaluable experience in fostering their skills towards making history in technology but remain humble about their origins. It’s certainly amazing what can bloom from curiosity and exploration of ones passion!
Where the Name ‘Microsoft’ Came From
The name Microsoft has become an iconic part of computing history, but where exactly did it come from? Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen’s, with the company’s name being a portmanteau of “microcomputer” and “software”. The New Mexico secretary of state recorded the name on November 26th, 1976. Soon after, the company opened its first international office named ASCII Microsoft in Japan which quickly ushered in global success for the budding software power house.
In 1979, Microsoft moved to Bellevue, Washington. Gates became president and chairman of the board, while Allen assumed the position of executive vice president. Later, the company incorporated under their newly established name in 1981. With that move came official establishment of Microsoft Inc., which remarkably only took 6 short years to reach incredible heights of prominence in the information technology field. It is this impressive rise to fame that makes us thankful for those early decisions that allowed us to enjoy using products from the great company bearing their co-founders’ famed portmanteau today.
History of Microsoft Products
In 1980, Microsoft released its first operating system product to the public — Xenix. It was a version of Unix and became the basis for Microsoft’s Multi-Tool Word, a precursor to Microsoft Word. The following year, Microsoft struck gold with its term licensing agreement with IBM for MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System). Developed by Tim Paterson, QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) formed the foundations of MS-DOS. Although MS-DOS was originally crafted for IBM, Microsoft retained the rights to the software that would later pave way for their unrivaled success in the technology industry.
MS-DOS was a widespread success, particularly among businesses focused on text-based computing. Soon enough, other popular successors like Windows 3.0 in 1990 followed suit, ushering in changes to user interfaces where graphical elements were more utilized than before. This led computer users into an era where computers became more approachable and easier to use – an era we’re still living in today! In those early days of PC innovation, Microsoft had truly changed computing forever with their products not only introducing us to powerful customer software but also setting a successful precedent for their future products as well.
