Microsoft owns the Azure cloud-computing platform and has ranked among the world’s most valuable public companies.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-computing business, providing computing power, storage, databases, networking, analytics, and artificial-intelligence services. It competes with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, while also supporting Microsoft’s enterprise software ecosystem.
Microsoft began as a software company best known for MS-DOS and Windows. It later expanded into productivity software, business services, gaming, devices, search, and cloud infrastructure. Its market value grew substantially as investors placed greater emphasis on recurring enterprise subscriptions and cloud services.
The company’s market capitalization can move above or below other mega-cap businesses depending on share prices. That means rankings of the richest companies are snapshots, not permanent league tables. Azure is also distinct from Microsoft 365: Azure supplies cloud infrastructure and services, while Microsoft 365 primarily provides productivity applications and collaboration tools.