Microsoft owns the Azure cloud-computing platform and briefly became the world’s most valuable public company in 2018.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud platform for computing, storage, databases, networking, artificial intelligence, and software services. Its growth helped diversify Microsoft beyond the Windows operating system and Office productivity software.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. The company became especially influential after providing the MS-DOS operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers and later developing Windows for a broad consumer and business market.
Market-cap rankings change constantly because they depend on share prices and share counts. Microsoft, Apple, and other technology companies have repeatedly exchanged the top position. A company’s market capitalization also differs from its annual sales, profits, or total assets.