Microsoft

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Microsoft, formally known as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that is engaged in developing, licensing, and supporting a range of software products and services related to computing. [1] [2] Microsoft was founded on April 4th, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but relocated to Washington State in 1979. [3] Its products include operating systems for personal computers, servers, phones, and other intelligent devices; server applications, productivity applications; business solution applications; desktop and server management tools; software development tools; video games; and online advertising. Microsoft also provides cloud-based solutions, consulting services, product services, and solution support services [3] As Microsoft continues to expand its products and services, there have been several ethical issues revolving around its business practices relating to censorship, privacy, and stifling competition.

History

Early Years

Inspired by the January cover of Popular Electronics magazine, Harvard dropout Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen started Micro-Soft(Microsoft) for microprocessors and software - to develop software for the Altair 8800(Early Computer). By the end of 1978, Microsoft's sales topped more than $1 million and in 1979 the business moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington, where Gates and Allen grew up. In 1980, the company struck a deal to provide the operating system for IBM's first personal computer. Microsoft then moved on to release Windows in 1985, a year before moving its headquarters to Redmond, Washington. On March 13, 1986, Microsoft went public with an offering price of $21.00 per share. By the late 1980s, Microsoft was the world's largest personal-computer software company. [4] [5]

Product Development in the 1990s

In 1993, Microsoft introduced Encarta, as well as the first version of Windows NT. The following year, Microsoft releases an upgrade of Windows NT 3.5, winning the PC Magazine award for technical excellence. The upgrade boosted sales of NT to more than one million copies and by the end of the year, Microsoft announced an agreement to purchase Intuit. However, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit to prevent the takeover because of antitrust concerns. Still, Microsoft's revenues exceeded $4 billion in 1994. [6]

In 1995, the company released Windows 95, a redesign of its Windows OS which used the basic design template that it would rely on to this day. That same year Bill Gates outlines Microsoft's commitment to supporting and enhancing the internet with the release of its web browser called Internet Explorer. In 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98 as part of its Windows 9x family of Microsoft Windows operating systems. By early 1999, the company had secured more than 100 licensing agreements with manufacturers. [6] [3] [7]

Products and Services

Windows

The Windows operating system (Windows OS) is a family of operating systems for personal computers, servers, and mobile devices. It provides a graphical user interface, virtual memory management, multitasking, and support for its devices. [8]

Microsoft offers a variety of accessibility technology and tools for Windows such as vision, hearing, dexterity, mobility, and focus. [9]

Internet Explorer, first bundled with Windows in 1995 as part of the "Microsoft Plus" package, is a free graphical browser maintained by Microsoft for legacy enterprise uses. [10]

Microsoft Edge is a free-of-cost graphical web browser bundled with Windows 10 developed by Microsoft in 2014. [11]

Microsoft Office

Microsoft offers a collection of powerful productivity tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access all bundled together in Microsoft 365. Inside Microsoft 365, Microsoft offers its users monthly subscription plans for personal, business, education, and government organizations. [12]

Cloud-Based Computing Services

Microsoft Office 365, an online suite that enables people to work from virtually anywhere at any time with simple, familiar collaboration and communication solutions, including Microsoft Office, Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync. [3]

Xbox LIVE service, which enables online gaming, social networking, and access to a wide range of video, gaming, and entertainment content. [3]

Azure, a family of platform and database services that helps developers connect applications and services in the cloud. [3]

Hardware Devices

In 1996, Microsoft introduced its first mobile device referred to as Windows CE 1.0. The form factor of these devices was that of a small, portable PC. [13]

The first Microsoft Surface tablet was announced in June 2012 at an invitation-only media event in Los Angeles. [14]

The first generation of Xbox was released on November 15, 2001, in North America. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market. [15]

Ethics

Censorship

In May 2005, Microsoft released a software package that prevented bloggers from using politically sensitive words such as "democracy" and "freedom". [16] This software package was built into MSN Spaces, in which Microsoft holds a 50% stake in the company. Users who tried to include such terms in subject lines are warned: "This topic contains forbidden words. Please delete them." A Microsoft spokesman later said that the restrictions were the price the company had to pay to spread the positive benefits of blogs and online messaging. [17]

Privacy

A report from Motherboard revealed that Microsoft hired contractors to listen to audio recordings captured by Xbox consoles in people's homes to improve the functionality of the product. Specifically, the Xbox's voice command features. The audio was supposed to be captured following a voice command like "Xbox", but contractors said that recordings were sometimes triggered and recorded by mistake. [18]

Stifling Competition

In the 1990s, the Justice Department filed antitrust charges against Microsoft. The charges came about in response to Microsoft bundling additional programs into its Operating system. This meant customers who wanted access to Microsoft applications had to purchase the Microsoft Windows operating system as a prerequisite. In addition, Microsoft distributed Internet Explorer to their consumers for free which led to a concentration of the market share and the eventual downfall of Netscape. [19]

In 2002, the DoJ's antitrust case alleged that Microsoft was intentionally making it extremely difficult for consumers to install software by other companies on personal computers that ran on Windows operating systems. The company was constituting a market monopoly by making it difficult for users to install competing software and simultaneously making it difficult to uninstall the company's browser, Internet Explorer. [3]

References

  1. ↑ Bellis, Mary. (Jan 10, 2020). "A Short History of Microsoft" ThoughtCo. Retrieved March 11, 2021
  2. ↑ Cowling, Jon. (Feb 08, 2016). "A Brief History of Microsoft - The Worlds Biggest Software Company" DSP-Explorer Retrieved March 11, 2021
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Microsoft. "Facts About Microsoft" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  4. ↑ Microsoft. "Microsoft is born" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  5. ↑ Microsoft. "Frequently Asked Questions" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Reference for Business."Microsoft Corporation - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Microsoft Corporation" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  7. ↑ Wikipedia. "Windows 98" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  8. ↑ Beal, Vangie. (Feb 22, 2021). "Windows Operating System History & Versions" Webopedia Retrieved March 12, 2021
  9. ↑ Microsoft. "Accessibility support for Windows" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  10. ↑ MDN Web Docs. "Microsoft Internet Explorer" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  11. ↑ MDN Web Docs. "Microsoft Edge" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  12. ↑ Microsoft. "Office Applications Service Description" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  13. ↑ mobiForge. "Windows Phone History" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  14. ↑ Bott, Ed. (Jun 19, 2012). "Microsoft's new Surface tablets make a solid first impression" ZdNet Retrieved March 12, 2021
  15. ↑ Wikipedia. "Xbox" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  16. ↑ Human Rights Watch. (Aug 6, 2006). "Race to the Bottom: Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship" Retrieved March 12, 2021
  17. ↑ Watts, Jonathan. (Jun 15, 2005). "Microsoft helps China to censor bloggers" The Guardian Retrieved March 12, 2021
  18. ↑ Cox, Joseph. (Aug 21, 2019). "Microsoft Contractors Listened to Xbox Owners in Their Homes" Vice Retrieved March 12, 2021
  19. ↑ Corporate Finance Institute. "Microsoft Antitrust Case" Retrieved March 12, 2021
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