Microsoft
Founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is one of the largest and most successful companies in the world. Microsoft is the developer and distributor of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, DirectX, Xbox, and numerous other programs, games, and services.
Contact information
If your computer (e.g., Dell or HP) came with Microsoft Windows, you'll need to contact your computer manufacturer and not Microsoft if you have questions.
| Sales and support: | (800) 426-9400 |
| Main switchboard: | (425) 882-8080 |
| Xbox support: | (800) 4MY-XBOX |
| Xbox TTY: | (866) 740-XBOX |
| Fax: | (425) 706-7329 |
| Free virus and security info: | (866) PC SAFETY |
| Microsoft TDD: | (800) 892-5234 |
| MSN TDD: | (425) 635-4948 |
| Websites: | Microsoft official website. Microsoft Windows official website. Microsoft Office 365 official website. MSN official website. Outlook official website. Xbox official website. |
| E-mail: | Microsoft support. |
| Address: | Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA |
| Locations: | Microsoft locations around the world. |
| Stock: | MSFT |
Companies selling similar products
- Computer browser companies
- Computer manufacturers
- Computer security companies
- Cloud companies
- Computer game companies
- Game controller companies
- Computer headset companies
- Keyboard companies
- Mouse companies
- Search engine companies
- Computer software companies
- Tablet companies
Related pages on Computer Hope
- 3D Builder
- Age of Empires
- APM (advanced power management)
- Bus
- Defrag
- Dev Home
- DirectX
- Dr. Watson
- Hotmail
- Keyboard
- Livedrive
- Microsoft Agent
- Microsoft Backup
- Microsoft Close Combat
- Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator
- Microsoft Deadly Tides
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Microsoft Front Page
- Microsoft Fury 3
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Paint
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Microsoft Word
- Mine Sweeper
- MS-DOS
- MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials)
- Mouse
- MSN (Microsoft Network)
- Office 365
- Office Online
- Operating System
- Parallel Port
- PC (personal computer)
- PDA (personal digital assistant)
- Plus!
- Power BI
- ScanDisk
- Software
- Solitaire
- Terminal
- USB (universal serial bus)
- Windows 10
- Windows 2000
- Windows 3.x
- Windows 7
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- Windows 95
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- Windows CE
- Windows FTP
- Windows Live
- Windows Me
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- Windows NT
- Windows phone
- Windows Solitaire
- Windows Sound Recorder
- Windows Media Player
- Windows Movie Maker
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
- VBScript
- Virtual PC
- Visual Basic
Microsoft company questions
What was Microsoft's first product?
Altair BASIC was Microsoft's first product. The BASIC programming language was developed by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff for the Altair computer.
Microsoft news and history
Friday 13, 2023 - Microsoft completed acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
February 7, 2023 - Microsoft released ChatGPT-powered Bing.
January 18, 2022 - Microsoft announced its intentions to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
April 12, 2021 - Microsoft announced it would be acquire Nuance in a $16 billion deal.
September 21, 2020 - Microsoft announced it acquired ZeniMax Media and its game publisher Bethesda Softworks.
October 2, 2019 - Microsoft introduced the Surface Duo.
June 4, 2018 - Microsoft announced it would acquire GitHub for $7.5 billion.
July 29, 2015 - Microsoft released Windows 10.
April 25, 2014 - The Nokia deal with Microsoft was completed making Nokia now Microsoft Mobile in a deal totaling $7.17 billion.
September 15, 2014 - Microsoft announced it purchased Mojang the makers of Minecraft for $2.5 billion.
February 4, 2014 - Satya Nadella became Microsoft CEO.
May 10, 2011 - Microsoft announced plans to acquire Skype for $8.5 billion in cash.
March 14, 2011 - Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9.
November 4, 2010 - Microsoft released the Kinect for the Xbox 360.
July 29, 2009 - Microsoft and Yahoo! reach a 10-year deal to replace the Yahoo! search with Bing.
June 16, 2009 - XPS (XML Paper Specification) was introduced by Microsoft.
June 3, 2009 - Microsoft launched the Bing search engine.
July 26, 2006 - Microsoft acquired Gteko research firm for $110 million.
July 18, 2006 - Microsoft acquired Winternals Software.
December 16, 2004 - Microsoft purchased Giant Company Software, a developer of spyware software.
July 15, 2004 - Microsoft announced it would purchase Lookout Software LLC.
June 10, 2003 - GeCAD Software announced a definite agreement with Microsoft in acquiring GeCAD's antivirus technology RAV.
February 19, 2003 - Microsoft acquired Connectix.
January 21, 2003 - Microsoft acquired PlaceWare.
October 22, 2002 - Microsoft acquired Vicinity Corporation.
September 29, 2002 - Microsoft bought British game developer Rare Ltd. for $375 million.
December 09, 2001 - Microsoft bought Navision for $1.33 billion.
December 09, 2001 - Microsoft announced Windows NT 4.0 was retiring by the end of July 2003.
December 2001 - Microsoft filed a trademark suit against Lindows.com.
October 25, 2001 - Windows XP Home and Professional editions were released.
June 5, 2001 - Microsoft ended free support for Office 97.
May 30, 2001 - Microsoft released Office XP.
May 15, 2001 - Microsoft said Hotmail users top 100 million.
May 3, 2001 - Microsoft acquired Ensemble Studios.
April 30, 2001 - Microsoft acquired NCompass Labs.
April 12, 2001 - MSN reached the 5 million user mark.
2001 - Expedia was broken off from Microsoft.
April 11, 2001 - Microsoft Office tool "Clippy" got the pink slip.
January 07, 2001 - Bill Gates unveiled the Xbox.
December 21, 2000 - Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software.
December 5, 2000 - Microsoft acquired Digital Anvil.
September 18, 2000 - Microsoft acquired Pacific Microsonics Inc
September 13, 2000 - Microsoft acquired MongoMusic.
July 12, 2000 - Microsoft acquired NetGames.
June 19, 2000 - Microsoft Corporation today announced that it had bought Bungie Software Products Corporation for undisclosed terms. This move allows Microsoft to release the highly anticipated game Halo, for its upcoming Xbox.
June 12, 2000 - Microsoft acquired Driveoff.com.
February 29, 2000 - Microsoft acquired Peach Networks.
January 13, 2000 - Bill Gates relinquished his title as CEO to Microsoft President Steve Ballmer.
November 11, 1999 - Microsoft Corp. and RadioShack announced a strategic alliance to accelerate the adoption of Web technologies and consumer connections to the Internet. Under the five-year agreement, the companies would establish a Microsoft "store within a store" in as many as 7,000 RadioShack locations across the nation. Customers can see demonstrations of and sign up for MSN dial-up or broadband Internet access.
October 29, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Entropic.
September 17, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Softway Systems.
September 15, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Visio Corp.
July 21, 1999 - Microsoft acquired STNC.
July 7, 1999 - Microsoft acquired ZOOMIT.
July 1, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Sendit.
June 15, 1999 - Microsoft acquired OmniBrowse Inc.
June 7, 1999 - Microsoft acquired ShadowFactor.
April 26, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Jump Networks.
April 19, 1999 - Microsoft acquired Access software.
March 4, 1999 - Microsoft acquired CompareNet Inc.
January 7, 1999 - Microsoft announced it would acquire FASA Interactive.
December 1998 - Microsoft announced that Hotmail hit over 30 million users.
November 6, 1998 - Microsoft acquired the advertising company LinkExchange for $265 million on November 6, 1998.
August 25, 1998 - Microsoft acquired Valence Research.
April 28, 1998 - Microsoft acquired MESA group.
April 9, 1998 - Microsoft acquired Firefly Network Inc.
February 23, 1998 - Microsoft acquired Flash Communications.
January 3, 1998 - Microsoft completed buy of Hotmail, a deal with a speculated value of up to $400 million.
December 1997 - Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Hotmail a free e-mail service in December 1997.
August 1997 - Microsoft was approved to acquire WebTV.
August 5, 1997 - Microsoft announced acquisition of VXtreme.
June 30, 1997 - Microsoft acquired LinkAge Software.
June 13, 1997 - Microsoft acquired Cooper & Peters.
May 7, 1997 - Microsoft acquired the Dimension X company.
April 6, 1997 - Microsoft acquired WebTV Networks.
March 4, 1997 - Microsoft acquired Interse.
December 10, 1996 - Microsoft acquired NetCarta.
November 20, 1996 - Microsoft acquired ResNova.
July 24, 1996 - Caldera filed a lawsuit against Microsoft for its alleged illegal activities and unfair practices with MS-DOS, Windows 95, and Windows 98, which it claims still use CP/M at their core.
June 11, 1996 - Microsoft acquired eShop Inc.
April 15, 1996 - Microsoft acquired EXOS Inc.
April 8, 1996 - Microsoft acquired aha! software.
March 12, 1996 - Microsoft announced the acquisition of Colusa Software Inc.
March 1996 - Microsoft acquired Aspect Engineering.
1996 - Microsoft VBScript was introduced.
1996 - Microsoft introduced the website Expedia.
January 16, 1996 - Microsoft purchased Vermeer Technologies Inc. for $133 million. The company was a developer of the website development tool FrontPage, which Microsoft later released as its own program.
December 12, 1995 - Microsoft acquired Bruce Artwick Organization.
November 27, 1995 - Microsoft released Internet Explorer 2.0 and officially started the browser war between Netscape.
October 16, 1995 - Microsoft acquired Blue Ribbon Soundworks.
August 1995 - Microsoft Internet Explorer 1.0 was introduced.
November 15, 1994 - Microsoft acquired One Tree Software.
June 28, 1994 - Microsoft acquired Softimage Inc., this company was later sold to Avid Technology Inc. on June 15, 1998.
June 1992 - Microsoft acquired Fox Software for $173 million.
May 2, 1991 - The domain microsoft.com came online.
June 29, 1987 - Microsoft purchased Forethought Incorporated. The company that developed the presentation software PowerPoint.
November 30, 1985 - Microsoft released the first version of Microsoft Excel on the Apple Macintosh.
March 29, 1984 - Microsoft created a new hardware and peripheral division.
July 27, 1981 - Microsoft bought the rights for QDOS from SCP (Seattle Computer Products) for $25,000.
July 14, 1978 - Microsoft released its first program, Altair BASIC. The BASIC programming language was developed by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff for the Altair computer.
April 4, 1975 - Microsoft was founded.