Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKEX:4338) is an American-based multinational computertechnology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of softwareproducts for computing devices.[9][8] Headquartered inRedmond, Washington, USA, its best selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and theMicrosoft Office suite of productivity software.
Originally founded to develop and sell BASICinterpreters for the Altair 8800, Microsoft rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by theWindows line of operating systems. Its products have all achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. One commentator notes that Microsoft's original mission was "a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software."[10] Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSNInternet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets bothcomputer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune and MSN TV.[9] The company's initial public stock offering (IPO) was in 1986; the ensuing rise of the company's stock price has made four billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees.[11][12][13]
Throughout its history the company has been the target of criticism, including monopolistic business practices and anti-competitive business practices including refusal to deal and tying. The U.S. Justice Department and theEuropean Commission, among others, have ruled against Microsoft for various antitrust violations.[14][15]
Known for what is generally described as a developer-centric business culture, Microsoft has historically given customer support over Usenet newsgroups and theWorld Wide Web, and awards Microsoft MVP status to volunteers who are deemed helpful in assisting the company's customers.[16][13]
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