What was the original name of the company that became Microsoft?

The original name of the company that became Microsoft was Micro-Soft. Bill Gates and Paul Allen adopted the name in 1975 to describe their focus on software for emerging microcomputers.

The name was suggested after the pair developed a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer made by MITS. Their software was licensed to MITS and marketed as Altair BASIC, giving the new company its first commercial opportunity.

“Micro-Soft” combined “microcomputer” and “software,” and early documents used the hyphenated form. The company was formally established on April 4, 1975, with Gates as chief executive. The hyphen was later dropped, producing the single-word Microsoft brand familiar today.

A common mix-up is confusing the company’s original name with its first product. Micro-Soft was the company; Altair BASIC was the first product. Another nearby milestone came in 1981, when Microsoft supplied MS-DOS for IBM’s first personal computer, helping transform the small software firm into a major technology company.