BUS402 WK3 Discussion Forum 1

Microsoft

Brea P. Sylvester

BUS402: Strategic Management & Business Policy

Professor Fred Fening

19 January 2019

Microsoft

Microsoft History

Microsoft is a technology-based company that began in its operations in the 1990s. It

started by a little known entrepreneur back then known as Bill Gates. The young man had

embarked on a mission to tell people in America to be part of the computer revolution that was

happening then. He managed to convince people to buy easy to use and pocket-friendly PCs or

personal computers. He also managed to convince them that it would only run on Microsoft built

software and that it would need to be upgraded periodically. It is through Microsoft and his

technological innovation that he became one of the richest men in the world. This was primarily

facilitated by the technological improvements of the last two decades, starting with the internet

boom in the 1990s. The internet was greatly improved by pioneering companies like AOL, which

has been primarily facilitated by Microsoft’s success since almost 10million copies of their latest

software Windows 3.0. This may not mean much in layman’s terms, but it meant an equal

number in PC sales for the company.

In relation to actual economics, however, Microsoft has been able to make a significant

contribution to solving the unemployment problem. It has been able to employ 144,000 people in

Microsoft working in full-time positions across the world. Sixty percent of these employees are

in the United States. The technology company had a revenue standing at around 126 billion U.S

dollars in the year 2019. The company’s employees have been increasing since when the

company was founded. In reference to other areas of impact, Microsoft has devoted itself to

philanthropic work through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.