What is the name of Microsoft's presentation software?

Microsoft's presentation software is PowerPoint. It is used to create slide-based presentations containing text, images, charts, video, audio, animations, and speaker notes.

PowerPoint was originally created at Forethought, Inc. by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin. Forethought released it for Macintosh computers in 1987. Microsoft acquired the software for about $14 million three months later, making it the company's first major acquisition.

PowerPoint became part of Microsoft Office, first joining the Mac version in 1989 and the Windows version in 1990. Its early purpose was to help business users produce overhead transparencies and 35-millimeter slides; later versions supported digital projectors and multimedia presentations.

A common mix-up is confusing PowerPoint with Publisher. Publisher is Microsoft's desktop-publishing application for brochures, flyers, and newsletters, while PowerPoint is designed for presentations. Microsoft's Sway is another presentation-oriented product, but it is a web-based storytelling tool rather than the standard Office slide program.