Microsoft founded the cloud-computing platform Azure and later became the world’s most valuable public company by market capitalization.
Microsoft introduced Azure in 2010 as Windows Azure, later shortening the name to Microsoft Azure. The platform provides computing, storage, databases, networking, analytics, and artificial-intelligence services to organizations worldwide.
Microsoft’s market value grew as its business expanded beyond Windows and Office into cloud services, subscriptions, enterprise software, gaming, and professional networking. In January 2024, Microsoft briefly overtook Apple in market capitalization, and it has exchanged the top position with other technology leaders as share prices changed.
“Most valuable” is a time-sensitive description rather than a permanent title. Market-cap rankings can change daily, and they differ from rankings by annual revenue, profit, assets, or brand value. Azure’s existence also does not mean Microsoft invented cloud computing; it is one major commercial cloud platform among several.