Microsoft owns the Azure cloud-computing platform and became a trillion-dollar company in 2019.
Microsoft’s market capitalization passed $1 trillion during trading on April 25, 2019. The milestone reflected the company’s transformation from a software business centered on Windows and Office into a broad technology company with major cloud, gaming, enterprise, and hardware operations.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform, competing with services such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. Under CEO Satya Nadella, who became chief executive in 2014, Microsoft emphasized cloud subscriptions and recurring enterprise revenue.
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Its early success came from software for personal computers, while later products and acquisitions expanded its reach. The company’s trillion-dollar milestone followed Apple and Amazon, which had crossed that valuation earlier.