The world, as we all know, has changed and developed into a whole new perspective. It seems that every now and then, there is something new that is being introduced into the world. The development has been carrying on for so many years. Human beings have become more and more creative as time passes by. It began many years ago with the invention of tools to make work easier. It then proceeded to the discovery of fire, which revolutionized the world as we know it. The man was able to eat cooked food, which made him healthier and able to live longer.
Nowadays, the world seems to be growing in one major direction. This one direction is said to be technology. There have been so many technological advancements that it has been difficult to note where we started from. Many minds have dedicated all their energy and intelligence to the technological advancements that we see each and every day. This growth is not biased; everyone is a part of it, both the young and the old, the rich and the poor, just everyone.
Two men were actively involved in the growth that we witness each and every day. These men were Paul Allen and Bill Gates, the founders of Microsoft. These two men founded this company that develops, manufactures, and sells computer software. It has also majored in the making of electronic devices for both big companies and personal users. This ventured has made Microsoft be one of the biggest companies in the world.
Inception
Microsoft has made huge steps since its inception by the inventive minds of Paul Allen and Bill Gates. The two started off as very good friends considering that they grew up together. The pair had some computer skills and decided to start a business using their skills. They started off with Traf-O-Data, which sold rudimentary computers to track and analyze automobile traffic data.
Bill Gates headed off to Harvard University while Paul Allen went to Washington State University. Paul dropped out of university to work in Honeywell. One day, he read an article in the newspaper concerning Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), which inspired him to create an interpreter for the device.
The two worked on the device and demonstrated it to MITS, which they did flawlessly. They later started Microsoft on April 4, 1975, with Bill Gates as the CEO. In August 1977, the company had an agreement with ASCII Microsoft, which led them to have their first international office in Japan. Microsoft entered the operating system business in 1980 with its own version of Unix called Xenix. They received a contract from IBM for them to provide their own version of CP/M OS to be used on IBM/PC (Personal Computer). It was a successful deal that led Microsoft to retain ownership of MS-DOS.
Microsoft eventually became the leading PC operating systems vendor. The company later expanded into other such the release of the Microsoft Mouse in 1983 and the publishing division of Microsoft press. Later on, Allen retired from Microsoft because he suffered from Hodgkin’s disease. Apparently, Gates wanted to dilute his share of the company’s shares because he did not think he was working hard enough.
This statement was stated by Paul Allen himself in the Idea Man; A Memoir by the co-founder of Microsoft. Allen later invested in low-tech sectors, sports teams, commercial real estate, neuroscience, private space flight, and many others. Microsoft then continued to flourish under the guidance of Bill Gates. It flourished as a software developing company that also dealt with dealing with electronic devices.
Evolution
At this point, Microsoft was already a very big company. Their inventions spurred a lot of success for them. Microsoft began inventing Microsoft Windows, which was a big break for the company. Over the years, Microsoft has been known to make around four billionaires and around 12,000 millionaires. This demonstrates the success of this company.
They also ventured in other areas apart from just making computers. They’ve made phones and also gaming consoles, which has brought them a lot of success. Microsoft has made it to the Fortune 500 rankings as number 30 with many shareholders and investors with a big interest in the company.
Awards & Achievements of Microsoft
Microsoft is a very big company that has done a lot of tremendous work over the years. The work that they have been doing has been rewarded, and they have received multiple awards for them. Some of the awards received by Microsoft are;
- Armorer’s and Brasier’s Company Prize
- GlaxoSmithKline Prize
- Micheal Faraday Prize
- Milner award
- Mullard Award
- Royal Society of Africa Prize
- Royal Society Prizes for Science Books
Net Worth of Microsoft in 2024
Microsoft has grown into a large multi-national company that has earned a large success. Over the years, they have grown into something much bigger, better, and wealthier. They have been making profits constantly over the years. This is because of its brilliant innovation that makes them a very successful company. As of December 2024, Microsoft is said to have an estimated net worth of about $1 Trillion. This value is expected to rise every year as it makes an annual profit of $16.77 Billion.
Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world. It has been consistent with its production, although it experienced some legal issues in the ’90s. It is one of the largest employers in the world and one of the companies with the largest net worth. Its continued innovation will surely make it more successful in the upcoming years.