MARKETWATCH Microsoft is marking its 50th anniversary in 2025, celebrating five decades of technological innovation that have shaped the digital landscape. Founded on 4 April 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft (originally named Micro-Soft) has grown from a small software venture to a global technology powerhouse with continued advancements in personal computing, cloud services, AI, cybersecurity and enterprise solutions. “We were founded in 1975 with a belief in creating technology that would enable others to create their own,” wrote Satya Nadella, current CEO and chairman of Microsoft, in Microsoft’s Annual Report 2024. “And, nearly 50 years later, this belief remains at the heart of our mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.” In its early days, Microsoft entered a technology landscape dominated by bulky mainframes and emerging personal computing concepts. The company made its mark by developing software for early PCs and by 1981, its MS-DOS operating system was a key component of IBM’s first PC. The subsequent release of the first version of the Windows operating system in 1985 then established Microsoft as a leader in computing. Over the years, Microsoft expanded its product and services portfolio, launching Microsoft Office in 1989, Encarta in 1993, Xbox in 2001 and Microsoft Bing in 2009. Its transformation accelerated in the 2010s under Nadella’s leadership, who has shifted Microsoft’s focus towards cloud computing and AI since becoming CEO in 2014. For example, the rebranding of Windows Azure to Microsoft Azure in 2014 signalled Microsoft’s commitment to cloud services, and the acquisitions of LinkedIn in 2016 for $26 billion and GitHub for $7.5 billion in 2018 reinforced its influence in professional networking and software development. Microsoft turns 50 Technology Record summarises Microsoft’s key innovations, and reports on the company’s role in shaping the future of technology 1975 1980 1982 1987 2012 18 Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen (left) and Bill Gates pictured in 1975
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=