Microsoft
Coordinates: 47°38′22.55″N 122°7′42.42″W / 47.6395972°N 122.12845°W
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Computer software Online services Video games |
| Founded | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States (April 4, 1975) |
| Founder(s) | Bill Gates, Paul Allen |
| Headquarters | Microsoft Redmond Campus, Redmond, Washington, U.S. |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people |
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| Products | See listing |
| Services | See listing |
| Revenue |  US$ 73.72 billion (2012)[1] |
| Operating income |  US$ 21.76 billion (2012)[1] |
| Net income | US$ 16.97 billion (2012)[1] |
| Total assets | US$ 121.2 billion (2012)[1] |
| Total equity | US$ 66.36 billion (2012)[1] |
| Employees | 94,000 (2012)[1] |
| Website | Microsoft.com |
| References: [2] | |
Microsoft Corporation is a very big company which makes computer software and video games all over the world. Bill Gates and Paul Allen started the company in 1975.[3] Microsoft makes Windows, Microsoft Office (including Microsoft Word), Internet Explorer, MSN, and the Xbox 360. These are just the most popular products - they make a lot of other ones too. Microsoft is the world's biggest software maker. Most Microsoft programs cannot be downloaded for free - people have to buy them in a shop or online. Some products (like the Windows operating system) are already installed when people buy a new computer.
Products & services [change]
Microsoft Windows is a popular Microsoft product. It is an operating system, which means that it is the basic software that makes people's computers work and lets other programs work. It is the most-used operating system in the world. Most computers have some kind of Windows, like Windows XP or Windows 7. The latest version of Windows is Windows 8.
Microsoft Office is also very popular, it is a set of useful programs and it lets people write documents on their computer with Microsoft Word, make charts and graphs with Microsoft Excel, make presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint, and do many other things using the other programs included.
Internet Explorer is a software that lets people look at things (known as browsing) and download things from the Internet. Microsoft also makes other programs for the Internet. A lot of it is called Windows Live services, with the name Windows Live put in front of the name of the service, like Windows Live Hotmail, which is an email service. However, it seems that Microsoft will no longer make Windows Live programs as this name is not being used much now. Microsoft runs a service called Bing on the internet which lets you search for things like photos or information on internet.
Skype is also a famous service by Microsoft. It was not started by Microsoft, but it later purchased Skype. Skype is a free program that lets people call other people with Skype using their computers.
The Xbox and the new Xbox 360 are videogame consoles, which means they let people play videogames when connected to their TVs. Microsoft is one of the three big companies that make consoles. The other two are Nintendo and Sony. Xbox Live is a service that lets people play online against other people anywhere in the world. Microsoft also makes many famous PC games.
Microsoft also has hundreds of other small products that are used by many people across the world. It gives some of its programs for free when you install (install means to put into your computer) Windows.
References [change]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "2011 Form 10-K, Microsoft". Google. February 28, 2011. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:MSFT&fstype=ii. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ↑ "2011 Form 10-K, Microsoft Corporation". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. July 28, 2011. http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/789019/000119312511200680/d10k.htm. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Bill Gates: A timeline". news.bbc.co.uk (BBC News). 2006-06-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5085630.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
Other websites [change]
