Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen and has grown to be a leading developer of software, services, and solutions. It launched its first operating system, MS-DOS, in the 1980s and has since released newer versions including Windows 98, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1. While Microsoft remains successful, it faces competition from companies like Apple, Google, and open-source software like Linux and MySQL that provide free alternatives and challenge Microsoft's desktop and server products.

2. ABOUT MICROSOFT
“Your Potential. Our
Passion”
-- Microsoft Slogan.
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history
• Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul G. Allen
• Microsoft corporation is one of the leading developers of software,
services, and solutions.
• Their current rivals include the companies Apple, Sony and Samsung
• Microsoft is also challenged by the new “free software”
• “The threat became obvious with the rising popularity of open source
and free software products such as Linux, Apache, Open Office, and
MySQL, as well as email and calendars from Yahoo!, Google, et al.—
which challenge Windows desktop, Windows servers, Office, SQL
Server, and Outlook” (Cusumano, 2007)

3. SERVICES/PRODUCTS OFFERED

4. MICROSOFT WINDOWS HISTORY
• Begins as a small company in 1975
• During the 1980s Microsoft focuses more on bringing new operating
system and changing the way we work. The name of the new operating
system became “MS-DOS”
• On June 25 1998 Windows 98 was released.
• Followed by XP in October 2001, Vista in 2006 and Windows 7 in 2009
• The newest versions of Microsoft are currently Windows 8 and Windows
8.1
• During this time Microsoft has branched out into other products which
include tablets, phones and consoles with the Xbox.

5. REFERENCES
• Cusumano, MA 2007, 'What Road Ahead for Microsoft the Company?', Communications Of The ACM, 50, 2,
pp. 15-18, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014.