"We started with a vision of a computer on every desk and in every home... Every day, we're finding new ways for technology to enhance and enrich people's lives. We're really just getting started."
– Bill Gates
Chairman and Chief Software Architect
In 1975, you couldn't buy a personal computer—unless you wanted to build it yourself. Collaborating with coworkers meant poring over photo or carbon copies of documents. And keeping in touch? We turned to Uncle Sam or Ma Bell.
Yet, in 1975 Bill Gates and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen saw the potential to turn a hobbyist's toy into something more. They sold the first software language program—called BASIC—for the MITS Altair 8800, the first "personal computer." BASIC, and the many more software programs that soon followed from Microsoft developers and partners, helped spark a technology revolution that has transformed how we do business, how we live, and how we learn.
From Revolution to Evolution
Bill and Paul's early vision of a computer on every desk and in every home seemed like a fantasy to most people. Today it's almost a reality. What fueled this revolution was the belief that software—if made affordable and accessible to more people—would remove barriers and transform technology into an extraordinary tool for millions of people around the world.
This revolutionary idea shared by two friends has evolved into the world's biggest software company, employing more than 50,000 people in more than 50 countries. From programming languages and operating systems to Internet services and games, we've ventured into just about every kind of software imaginable.
We're Just Getting Started
The first decade of the 21st century, a time Bill Gates calls the "Digital Decade," holds even more promise.
We believe that computers powered by Microsoft® .NET technology will make Internet-based computing and communications easier, more personalized, and more productive for individuals and businesses. We envision smart software continuing to help integrate technology into the everyday fabric of our lives—keeping us connected to the people, activities, and information that are meaningful to us. And we know that we'll continue to be motivated and inspired by how innovative software helps change lives.
Our commitment to constant innovation is reflected in our ongoing investment in research and development. In fact, we have invested more than $23 billion during the past 10 years to develop innovative solutions to the technology problems of today and tomorrow. Through the Microsoft Research group, we are exploring new worlds of software technology and advancing the frontiers of user-interface design, speech and language processing, and digital media.
At Microsoft, it's our belief that the true measure of our success is not in the power of our software, but in the power it unleashes in us all.
For More Information
