Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and supports software, services, devices, and solutions worldwide. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is one of the largest software companies in the world and plays an influential role in the global computer industry. Microsoft is organized into three business segments: Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing.

The Productivity and Business Processes segment offers Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft Viva, and Skype for Business; Skype, Outlook.com, OneDrive, and LinkedIn; and Dynamics 365, a set of cloud-based and on-premises business solutions. This segment also provides enterprise support, Microsoft consulting, and nuance professional services to assist customers in developing, deploying, and managing Microsoft server and desktop solutions; and training and certification on Microsoft products.

The Intelligent Cloud segment licenses SQL, Windows Servers, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses; GitHub that provides a collaboration platform and code hosting service for developers; Nuance provides healthcare and enterprise AI solutions; and Azure, a cloud platform.

The More Personal Computing segment provides Windows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licensing and other non-volume licensing of the Windows operating system; Windows Commercial, such as volume licensing of the Windows operating system, Windows cloud services, and other Windows commercial offerings; patent licensing; and Windows Internet of Things. It also offers Surface, PC accessories, PCs, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, and other devices; Gaming, including Xbox hardware, and Xbox content and services; video games and third-party video game royalties; and Search, including Bing and Microsoft advertising. The company sells its products through OEMs, distributors, and resellers; and directly through digital marketplaces, online stores, and retail stores.

Microsoft Corporation is one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world. The company’s current market capitalization stands at over $1.6 trillion. Microsoft has over 140,000 full-time employees around the world and continues to be an innovator in the technology space. It was the first company to offer cloud-based services, and its Azure cloud platform continues to be the leader in the market. It was also the first company to offer Office 365, a cloud-based suite of applications for businesses and consumers. Microsoft has also been at the forefront of artificial intelligence and robotics, with products such as the HoloLens and Microsoft Robotics Studio. Microsoft has also made several major acquisitions in recent years, including LinkedIn, GitHub, and Skype.