Microsoft
Microsoft is a global technology company known for Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, Copilot, Teams, GitHub, LinkedIn, Xbox, developer tools, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered software used by individuals, businesses, developers, and governments.
What Microsoft is
Microsoft is a technology company that builds operating systems, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, business applications, gaming platforms, security products, and AI services. Its products reach consumers through Windows, Xbox, Surface, and subscriptions, while businesses and governments use Microsoft 365, Azure, Teams, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, GitHub, LinkedIn, and security tools.
Productivity and business software
Microsoft 365 is one of Microsoft's core businesses. It includes familiar tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and related identity, compliance, and management services. Microsoft has moved much of this business from one-time software licenses to subscriptions, making productivity software a recurring cloud service rather than only a desktop product.
Azure and cloud infrastructure
Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform. It provides compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, cybersecurity, developer services, AI infrastructure, and hybrid-cloud tools. Azure competes with AWS, Google Cloud, and specialized cloud providers, but it also benefits from Microsoft's long enterprise relationships, Windows Server history, identity tools, and integration with Microsoft 365 and developer workflows.
Copilot and AI strategy
Copilot is Microsoft's brand for AI assistants and model-powered features across Microsoft 365, Windows, GitHub, security tools, Dynamics, Azure, and developer platforms. Microsoft's AI strategy combines cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, custom and partner models, data governance, and workflow integration. The company's partnership with OpenAI helped accelerate this strategy, while Microsoft also builds its own AI systems, chips, and model-hosting services.
Developer ecosystem and GitHub
Microsoft is deeply tied to software development. Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, .NET, TypeScript, GitHub, GitHub Copilot, Azure DevOps, and cloud-native tooling make Microsoft important to how developers build, test, deploy, and collaborate. The company's shift toward open source and cross-platform tools changed its relationship with developers after decades when Microsoft was viewed mainly through Windows and proprietary software.
Windows, Xbox, LinkedIn, and devices
Windows remains a major personal-computing platform for homes, schools, businesses, gaming, and enterprise fleets. Xbox connects Microsoft to gaming hardware, subscriptions, cloud gaming, studios, and digital stores. LinkedIn gives Microsoft a large professional network and advertising business. Surface devices show Microsoft's own vision for Windows hardware, while Teams, Edge, Bing, and Microsoft Advertising extend its consumer and workplace reach.
History and evolution
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It rose with MS-DOS and Windows, became central to personal computing, and built Office into a global productivity standard. In the 2000s, Microsoft entered gaming with Xbox and expanded enterprise server products. Under Satya Nadella from 2014 onward, Microsoft accelerated Azure, subscriptions, open-source engagement, GitHub, cloud security, and AI. In the 2020s, Microsoft has focused heavily on Copilot, AI infrastructure, cloud growth, developer tools, and enterprise transformation.
Why it matters
Microsoft matters because its platforms sit inside the daily operations of millions of people and organizations. Its choices affect workplace productivity, cloud architecture, software development, cybersecurity, gaming, AI adoption, and enterprise governance. Understanding Microsoft helps explain why productivity software, cloud infrastructure, identity, developer platforms, and AI assistants are increasingly part of one connected business technology stack.