Microsoft launched Azure in 2010 and developed the Windows operating system.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company first became widely known for software, especially its MS-DOS operating system and later Windows, which became a dominant platform for personal computers.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform and competes with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. Microsoft also owns businesses such as LinkedIn, Xbox, and GitHub. A common mix-up is confusing Microsoft with Apple: Microsoft created Windows, while Apple created macOS and the Macintosh line. Microsoft’s combination of enterprise software, cloud services, gaming, and subscriptions has made it one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies by market capitalization.