Microsoft developed the Windows operating system and Xbox console. The company is a major software, cloud-computing, gaming, and enterprise-services business headquartered in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its early success came from software for personal computers, including a licensing agreement that placed MS-DOS on IBM PCs. Windows later became the company’s most widely recognized operating-system family.
The Xbox brand began with Microsoft’s first console in 2001 and grew into a broader gaming business through consoles, studios, PC games, and online services. Microsoft also operates Azure, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, and GitHub. Xbox and Windows are products and platforms owned by Microsoft, not separate listed companies.