Microsoft owns the Windows operating system and trades publicly under the stock ticker MSFT.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Its early success came from software for personal computers, especially MS-DOS and Windows. Windows became one of the world’s most widely used desktop operating systems and helped establish Microsoft as a major technology company.
The company later expanded into business software, cloud computing, gaming, search, and hardware. Microsoft 365, Azure, Xbox, LinkedIn, and GitHub are among its best-known businesses. Azure has become a central part of Microsoft’s modern growth strategy.
Microsoft is often compared with Apple because both have ranked among the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization. Their businesses differ: Apple emphasizes devices and consumer services, while Microsoft has a particularly large enterprise-software and cloud presence.