Microsoft created the Windows operating system and was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
The two founders established Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after developing and licensing a version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. Microsoft later supplied MS-DOS for IBM-compatible personal computers. Windows began as a graphical environment released in 1985 and eventually became a dominant desktop operating system.
Microsoft expanded into productivity software, servers, cloud computing, gaming, search, and hardware. Microsoft Office became a widely used collection of workplace applications, while Azure grew into one of the world’s major cloud platforms. Windows and MS-DOS are related but not identical: MS-DOS was a command-line operating system, whereas Windows introduced a graphical interface that later became a complete operating-system family. The company’s long history across software and cloud services helped support its enormous market value.