MICROSOFT

Microsoft is a multinational technology corporation, which rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Windows line of operating systems. It develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of sofware products for computing devices. Microsoft's best-selling products are the Microsoft windows operating system and the Microsoft office suite of productivity software. Throughout its history the company has been the target of criticism for various reasons, including monopoly status and anti-competitive business practices including refusal to deal and tying. The U.S. Justice Department and the European Commission, among others, have ruled against Microsoft for various antitrust violations. Microsoft was founded by William Henry Gates III, (called Bill Gates) with Paul Allen as the co-foundeer following the launch of the Altair 8800 offering to demonstrate an implementation of the BASIC programmiong language for the system. After the demonstration, MITS agreed to distribute Altair BASIC.Gates left Harvard University, moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where MITS was located, and founded Microsoft there. The company's first internationawas founded on November 1, 1978, in Japan, entitled "ASCII Microsoft" (now called "Microsoft Japan"). On January 1, 1979, the company moved from Albuquerque to a new home in Bellevue, Washington. Steve Ballmer joined the company on June 11, 1980, and later succeeded Bill Gates as CEO.
since then, several remarkable changes has occured in MICROSOFT COMPANY.
Microsoft Corporation
Type: Public (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Founded: Albuquerque, New Mexico (April 4, 1975 (1975-04-04))
Founder: Bill Gates
Co-founder: Paul Allen
Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
Area served: Worldwide
Key people: Bill Gates (Chairman)Steve Ballmer (CEO)Ray Ozzie (CSA)Craig Mundie (CRSO)Industry Computer softwarePublishingResearch and developmentComputer hardwareVideo games Products Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft ServersDeveloper ToolsMicrosoft ExpressionBusiness SolutionsGames & Xbox 360 Windows Live Windows MobileZune
Market cap US$: 30 Billion (Sep 2008)
Revenue ▲ US$60.420 Billion (2008)
Operating income ▲ US$ 22.492 Billion (2008)
Net income ▲ US$ 17.681 Billion (2008)
Total assets ▲ US$ 72.793 Billion (2008)
Total equity ▲ US$ 36.286 Billion (2008)
Employees 89,809 in 105 countries (2008)
Website microsoft.com