Microsoft owns the Windows operating system and was founded in 1975. Bill Gates and Paul Allen established the company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after developing and licensing a version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800.
Windows became Microsoft’s flagship operating-system family after its first retail release in 1985. Microsoft later expanded into productivity software, gaming through Xbox, cloud computing through Azure, enterprise software, and professional networking through LinkedIn.
Microsoft is often confused with the company that created the IBM PC. IBM introduced its original IBM PC in 1981, while Microsoft supplied the operating system, MS-DOS. The company’s broad software and cloud businesses have helped place it among the world’s highest-market-capitalization firms.