Microsoft, founded in 1975, operates the Azure cloud platform and has ranked among the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after developing software for the Altair 8800 computer. The company became famous for MS-DOS and Windows, operating systems that helped establish the personal-computer industry.
Microsoft’s modern valuation rests on several businesses rather than one product. Azure provides cloud computing, Microsoft 365 supplies subscription productivity software, and Windows, Xbox, LinkedIn, and enterprise applications add further revenue streams.
A common mix-up is treating market capitalization as revenue or cash. Market cap is the market’s current valuation of the company’s outstanding shares; it can rise or fall even when a company’s latest annual revenue has not changed.