For the fiscal year 2024–2025, Microsoft Corporation Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella received a pay increase to $96.5 million, the biggest since taking over the position more than ten years ago. According to Bloomberg, the board credited the rise to the business’s advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
The board’s remuneration committee stated in a message to shareholders contained in a regulatory filing made public on Tuesday that the results “show that Satya Nadella and his leadership team have positioned Microsoft as a clear artificial intelligence leader for this generational technology shift.” The document states that around 90% of Nadella’s compensation, which includes a base salary of $2.5 million, is in Microsoft stock. The prior fiscal year, he made $79.1 million. In 2014, Nadella was appointed as the third CEO of Microsoft.
Microsoft’s Top Brass Also Received Salary Hike
In the year that ended in June, Nadella’s top deputies also saw increases in pay. Amy Hood, the chief financial officer, was paid $29.5 million in total, while Judson Althoff, who was recently promoted to head Microsoft’s commercial division, was paid $28.2 million. Leading Microsoft’s successful transition to cloud computing has been Nadella’s most notable accomplishment.
He supported Azure’s expansion since he saw the potential of cloud services early on, and it currently faces off against Amazon Web Services for market dominance. Microsoft also increased its presence in professional networking and software development through strategic acquisitions like GitHub and LinkedIn. Through significant investments, such as the purchase of Activision Blizzard, Nadella also fortified the company’s gaming portfolio, solidifying Microsoft’s position in the quickly expanding gaming industry.
Nadella’s Current Focus on AI
Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI, a little-known AI start-up at the time, under Nadella’s direction. OpenAI is now the most well-known brand in AI because of ChatGPT. Microsoft invested an additional $10 billion to strengthen the alliance, and since then, it has integrated AI into almost all of its services and products.
Nadella, who was reared in Hyderabad, graduated from Mangalore University in 1988 with a degree in electrical engineering. He joined Sun Microsystems’ technology team after relocating to the United States and earning a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1990. After being hired by Microsoft in 1992, he first helped create Windows NT, an operating system designed for business users. Nadella went on to become executive vice president in charge of Microsoft’s cloud computing operations after serving as president of the company’s server and tools division.
Quick Shots
•Microsoft
CEO Satya Nadella earned $96.5 million in FY 2024–25, up from $79.1 million
last year.
•Compensation
hike credited to Microsoft’s advancements in artificial intelligence,
including ChatGPT integration.
•Around
90% of Nadella’s pay comes from Microsoft stock; base salary is $2.5 million.
•Microsoft invested $11B in OpenAI;
AI integrated across products and services.
The American multinational technology giant Microsoft Corp is internationally known for its computer software, personal computers, consumer electronics, and related services. Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. They rose to popularity during the 1980s by dominating the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS.
Even today, Microsoft continues to be one of the big five American information technology companies, along with Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. While we continue to use a lot of Microsoft’s products and services, little do we know about the failed launches of the firm. This article will focus on the failed products so as to understand the evolution of Microsoft as a company in a more holistic manner, which is not usually done due to the over-emphasis on the products that did well in the market.
Low adoption; lost to Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa.
1. Zune
Failed Microsoft Products – Microsoft Zune
To compete with the Apple iPod, Microsoft launched a new brand of digital media products called Zune. The Microsoft Zune was launched in November 2006, which included portable media players, media player software that was specifically designed for Windows PCs, and a unique music subscription service, which was named Zune Music Pass.
However, the brand did not fare well in the industry, to the extent that it took two years for them to sell 2 million units. It was shut down due to a lack of profitability in June 2012.
2. Kin
Failed Microsoft Products – Microsoft Kin
While the digital market was going crazy over the release of various kinds of mobile phones, Microsoft, in its attempt to address the contemporary tech trends, launched two mobile phones that were named Kin One and Kin Two.
Despite all the perks that they boasted about the Kin phones, they did not support games and apps that could be downloaded. This was a very bad setback in contrast to the iPhones that were having a breakthrough in the history of mobile phones through the introduction of their App Store in 2008. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft had to stop selling its Kin due to very poor sales, which are rumoured to be less than 10,000 units.
It was released as a special millennium edition operating system after Windows 98 in September 2000. Windows Millennium is deemed to be one of the worst OS that Microsoft ever launched. It had severe crashing issues and faced incompatibility with various popular applications that functioned well on Windows 98. Microsoft had to roll back the OS within one year of its release.
4. Microsoft Bob
Failed Microsoft Products – Microsoft Bob
It was launched in 1995 as a graphical user interface that was meant for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. The intention was to provide a more nuanced user interface for the users. However, the product did not run well in the market. They were largely criticised for the price, and Microsoft had to roll it back by 1996.
5. Microsoft Portrait
Failed Microsoft Products – Microsoft Portrait
Microsoft Portrait was a video conferencing platform developed by Microsoft during the 1990s. Low internet consumption was the USP of this platform that came way before Skype and FaceTime. However, the product was called back and considered one of the worst Microsoft products. It is an irony to note that the once-flop idea is a billion-dollar industry now.
6. Microsoft Lumia Smartphones
Failed Microsoft Products – Microsoft Lumia
Microsoft acquired Nokia for $7 billion in 2014, which gave them ownership of the Lumia smartphones. It was speculated that the Lumia line of smartphones would be a flagship phone that would run on Windows software. However, they soon became unpopular due to their bad features and lack of competitiveness with respect to the rival phones. By 2017, their quarterly revenue dropped to $5 million.
7. MSN
Failed Microsoft Products – MSN
MSN was launched in 1999 to be a significant competitor in the instant messaging software market. It had more than 330 million active users every month during its zenith. However, Microsoft had to discontinue MSN due to the dispute between the TOM company that maintained MSN from China and Skype. The product was discontinued in 2014.
MSN TV was launched by Microsoft after it bought WebTV Networks in 1995. It used a television for display and was supported by online services. It was a perfect alternative for people who were looking for a computer with internet access. However, they had to discontinue this product over controversies and inconsistencies by 2013.
Microsoft entered into tablet business in the year 2012, and that was when it launched Surface RT and Surface Pro into the market. Although the Surface Pro was a successful product, Surface RT did not fare well. It was basically because of the fact that apps had to be written specifically for Surface RT to be more consumer-friendly. This confused consumers and dismayed app creators. Microsoft bailed on Surface RT in 2013, which led to the biggest sell-off of Microsoft’s shares after 200,9, which wiped out over $34 billion in market value.
10. Windows 8
Microsoft Failed Products – Windows 8
Windows 8, which was released in 2012, was an attempt by Microsoft to gain stronger market dominance in the field of personal computers as they were growing more insignificant with the popularity of tablets and smartphones.
Amongst other features, one of the most highlighted features was its new interface that featured touch-friendly tiles. However, the users and critics did not receive it well. They removed the start menu, which was introduced with Windows 95 and received widespread criticism for it.
Some of the critics even called this operating system a “Colossal blunder”. People found it difficult to work with this OS, especially while not using the touchscreen facilities. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft at that time, even admitted that there were things that went wrong in the OS. Through the introduction of Windows 10 and the start menu with it, Microsoft tried to mitigate the harm done to its reputation that Windows 8 caused.
11. Windows Vista
Microsoft Failures – Windows Vista
After launching Microsoft’s popular operating system Windows XP, they launched Windows Vista in November 2006. However, it became another flop just like Windows ME. It had lots of glitches and was slow. Apart from that, its hardware and software had incompatibility issues, which were in addition to high prices. The security issues and other incapabilities further eroded its reputation, which made this OS end up like another black spot in the history of Microsoft.
12. Microsoft Office Assistant (Clippy)
Microsoft Failures – Clippy
Long before the launch of the Amazon Assistant named Alexa, Microsoft launched its office assistant named Clippy in the year 1997 as an added service to the updated version of Office 97 till 2003.
Apart from the newly born technology, it failed to gain recognition from users, and in the end, Microsoft had to end it with the launch of Office XP. With the introduction of new technology, we can assume it to be favoured by some; however, it is considered a failed product on a larger scale.
Clippy was developed as an office assistant; however, there was no user data collection done by Clippy. Due to this, Clippy failed to gain the trust of people and their acknowledgment. There was a great gap in user interaction with Clippy due to a lack of knowledge of Artificial Intelligence.
13. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
Microsoft Failed Products – Internet Explorer 6
Undoubtedly, the term “Internet Explorer 6” is an acknowledged term. However, when the talk is about loyal users, Internet Explorer 6 has earned. The answer can be avoided because of its failure. Internet Explorer 6 was introduced in the year 2001 along with the launch of Windows XP.
It was launched to provide a safe and free experience of web surfing. However, it failed to gain users and was replaced with newly launched services termed Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.
Microsoft failed to follow the guidelines provided by the World Wide Web Consortium, causing different visualizations of web pages on Internet Explorer than in their original form. They also failed to focus and improve the services given by Internet Explorer, hence losing the trust of users. The security provided by Internet Explorer was also not up to mark. and is considered one of Microsoft notable failures.
14. Microsoft Groove Music
Microsoft Failed Products – Groove Music
Just like the popular music platforms available now, such as Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited, Microsoft had also launched its in-house music platform, Groove Music, launched in 2012 and was discontinued in the year 2017. Grove Music was earlier made as an additional service given to monthly music pass holders of Zune.
After the fall of Zune, Groove was tagged as Xbox Music and given as an additional service to Xbox users. In 2015, Groove Music was renamed to its original tag and was provided as an unlimited music streaming platform at its original price. Groove Music was one of the complete platforms due to its services and compatibility with different devices.
The moves taken by Microsoft were quite lagging as the competition in the same field was too stiff to catch up. Even though Groove was a complete service, there was nothing eye-catching about it to attract users to it.
15. TerraServer
Microsoft Failure List – TerraServer
Google Maps is the source of finding unknown locations easily. Long before Google even gave rise to its idea, Microsoft launched a satellite-provided image of Earth. TerraServer was launched in 1997 and discontinued in 1999.
At that time, TerraServer was the first program capable of showing neighbourhood houses with detailed information. It was the first of the best technologies invented by Microsoft. TerraServer did manage to catch the attention of the audience, but failed to survive the interest.
Most of the feedback received by TerraServer was from local users commenting on the images of their houses and neighbourhood. They failed to provide the aim behind creating such a great innovation, as was later done by Google Maps.
16. Microsoft Band
Microsoft Failures – Microsoft Band
Recently, there has been a growing trend of smartwatches seen by people of all ages. Years back in the trend, Microsoft launched its wearable band consisting of multiple inbuilt Technologies such as fitness tracker features, health-oriented capabilities, compatibility with different devices, etc. The band was launched in 2014 and discontinued in 2016. With the closure of the band, Microsoft gave refunds to its lifelong customers.
Even though the band was launched with the best technology, it was not able to survive in the market. Some reports suggest that the belt attached to the watch was weak and needed to be replaced after some time by Microsoft. The band was almost the best in the technical aspect; however, the band design was not appealing enough to attract users towards it.
17. Cortana
Microsoft Failed Products – Cortana
Cortana was Microsoft’s voice assistant, named after the AI character from the Halo video game. It was first made for Windows Phone and later added to Windows 10, Xbox, Skype, Teams, and even iPhones and Alexa.
Microsoft used the same voice actress from the Halo games to make Cortana sound real. But even with a cool voice, most people didn’t use it. It never made it to smart speakers and wasn’t as helpful as Alexa or Google Assistant.
In 2019, Satya Nadella said Cortana was just a helper for Microsoft, not a competitor. Over time, Microsoft removed Cortana from all devices. By 2024, it was completely gone, replaced by Microsoft Copilot.
All these Microsoft fails can never be considered a setback for Microsoft. It was all a learning experience that has only led the company to design and launch better products. Beginning as a lone company in the personal computer market and continuing to be one of the major players in the market even after competition and options soared tells a lot about the commendable way in which Microsoft learns from its mistakes and evolves.
FAQs
What is Microsoft’s biggest failure?
Microsoft Lumia, Zune, Kin, MSN, Microsoft Band, Groove Music, and Microsoft Bob are some of the biggest failures of Micorosft.
What is Microsoft’s most popular product?
The Windows operating system is the most popular product of Microsoft.
What are Microsoft failed projects?
Microsoft has launched many products over the years, but not all were successful. The Zune failed to beat the iPod, while Kin phones lasted just weeks due to poor features. Windows Phone struggled without enough apps and was shut down in 2017. Operating systems like Windows Vista and Windows 8 were disliked for being buggy or confusing. Projects like Microsoft Bob, Cortana, and Groove Music also failed to win users. Devices like the Microsoft Band and services like MSN TV were either ahead of their time or quickly became outdated.
What is Microsoft overhaul top after series failures?
After many failures, Microsoft changed its focus under CEO Satya Nadella. It moved from failed products to cloud (Azure), AI (Copilot), and useful tools like Teams. This shift helped Microsoft grow strong again and become one of the top tech companies.
Satya Narayana Nadella has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft by succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014 and under him, the company had witnessed considerable growth. On 16th June 2021, Nadella was further appointed as the Executive Chairman of Microsoft, succeeding John W. Thompson.
Nadella is an Indian-American business executive. He is the former Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group. His last position was conferred with the job of examining the computing platforms of the company.
Let’s check out the success story of Satya Nadella and look at his education, qualifications, personal life, professional life, history, achievements, controversies, and more.
Satya Nadella Biography
Name
Satya Narayana Nadella
Birthplace
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Born
August 19, 1967
Nationality
Indian
Citizenship
United States
Education
Manipal Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Chicago
Satya Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India on August 19, 1967. His father, Bukkapuram Nadella Yugandhar was employed as an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1962 batch. His mother, Prabhavati was a Sanskrit lecturer. His father shifted from Nadella village to Bukkapuram in Anantapuramu district, Andhra Pradesh, and later to Hyderabad.
Satya Nadella was married to Anupama in 1992. The couple has three children: two daughters and one son. His son, Zain is a legally blind quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. The family resides in Clyde Hill and Bellevue, Washington.
Satya Nadella with his wife Anupama and son, Zain
Satya Nadella – Education
Satya Nadella completed his primary education at Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. He later pursued a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka in 1988.
Later, he went abroad for higher studies. He completed his M.S. in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1990. He also pursued an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1997.
Satya Nadella – Professional Life
Satya Nadella started his career as a member of the technical staff of Sun Microsystems. In 1992, he joined Microsoft. Initially, he worked on the development of Windows NT. He later led major projects related to cloud computingat Microsoft. He held reputable leadership roles in business and enterprises across Microsoft.
He also wrote a book, HitRefresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone, in 2017. The book consists of his experience and career at Microsoft. Moreover, he declared that the profits from the book would go to Microsoft Philanthropies via nonprofit organizations.
Satya Nadella’s Book – Hit Refresh
Satya Nadella – Microsoft
Satya Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992 as a young engineer. Nadella was promoted to corporate Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions in the year 2001. He was later employed as the vice president of Research and Development (R&D) for the Online Services Division (2007-2011) and Microsoft Business Division.
He was then promoted to the President of the Server & Tools Division (2011-2014). He vividly helped the company to bring Microsoft’s database, Windows Server, and developer tools to its Azure cloud. The revenue from Cloud Services grossed $20.3 billion in June 2013 from $16.6 billion when he took over in 2011. Moreover, he received $84.5 million in pay in 2016.
Satya Nadella was appointed as the new CEO of Microsoft company in February 2014. He was sequentially the third CEO of Microsoft, following Bill Gatesand Steve Ballmer. Under Nadella, the company’s stock tripled in September 2018, with a 27% annual growth rate.
After Nadella served Microsoft as its CEO for over 7 years, Nadella was appointed as the Chairman of the firm on June 16, 2021. He succeeded John W. Thompson to become the chairman.
Nadella proclaimed the amalgamation of Microsoft and Linux to rival other companies like Apple, Salesforce, and Dropbox. Microsoft officially joined the Linux Foundation as a Platinum member in 2016.
Moreover, he empowered a cultural shift at Microsoft by highlighting empathy, collaboration, and a growth mindset. He has successfully changed the corporate world of Microsoft into an environment that emphasizes continuous learning and growth.
Satya Nadella’s Strategic Vision
Improve your abilities with compelling and successful Excel demonstrations
Managing undefined responsibilities well for twenty years
Demonstrating remarkable growth and strategic acumen by quickly achieving an amazing 4/10x increase in corporate value
Satya Nadella’s first acquisition with Microsoft was in 2014. The company acquired a Swedish video game developer, Mojang. Another company best known for the computer game, Minecraft was also acquired by him worth $2.5 billion.
He also purchased the software company, Xamarin. He then stepped up by purchasing the professional network, LinkedInworth $26.2 billion in 2016. GitHub was officially acquired by Microsoft on 26 October 2018 for $7.5 billion.
As CEO, Satya Nadella made big changes at Microsoft:
Released Windows 10, skipping Windows 9.
Launched Microsoft Surface Book, the first Microsoft laptop.
Made Microsoft Office available for Apple’s iPad.
Released apps like Microsoft Outlook for iPhone and Android.
Board of Trustees, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Board of Trustees, University of Chicago
Satya Nadella – Awards
He was recognized as the Time 100 honoree in 2018.
He was named Financial Times Person of the Year in 2019.
He was the Fortune Magazine Businessperson of the Year in 2019.
He was recognized as a Global Indian Business Icon at CNBC-TV18’s India Business Leader Awards in Mumbai in the year 2020.
In 2022, Satya Nadella received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, from the Government of India.
In January 2024, Satya Nadella received an honorary Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Satya Nadella – Controversies
On 27 November 2024, Elon Musk shared podcaster Ian Miles Cheong’s complaint with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and said, “This is illegal..” Cheong, in posts on X (formerly Twitter), accused Microsoft’s gaming team of unfairly favoring non-Whites in hiring.
Satya Nadella was highly criticized when he asserted a statement that women should not ask for a raise and should trust the system. The statement was conferred by him while attending an event on Women in Computing. He later wrote an apology letter to Microsoft through email, admitting that he was “Completely wrong”. Before the formal apology to the company, he apologized on Twitter as well.
Satya Nadella – Philanthropist
Satya Nadella is on the board of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Chicago’s board of trustees. All the money from his book Hit Refresh was donated to Microsoft Philanthropies.
Satya Nadella’s story is inspiring to all generations. Satya Nadella didn’t build an enterprise himself. He worked hard to achieve this success. He was selected to run an existing large enterprise depending on his past work and leadership skills.
Nobody cares what degrees you’ve got or from which college or university you’ve graduated from. The only thing that matters is what you can give to the company. The company only cares about your ability to do the job and in Satya Nadella’s case, Microsoft had 22 years to evaluate that. People admire Satya Nadella for his positive leadership skills and empathy towards the employees which have made him the best CEO to work with.
FAQ’s
What is Microsoft CEO name?
Satya Nadella is the current CEO and chairman of Microsoft.
When did Satya Nadella become Microsoft CEO?
Satya Nadella officially became CEO of the company on Feb 4, 2014.
Is Satya Nadella Indian?
Yes, Satya Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India on August 19, 1967.
What is Satya Nadella net worth?
Satya Nadella’s net worth is estimated to be INR 7500 crore as of July 2024.
What is Satya Nadella education?
Satya Nadella has an M.S. in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has done B.E. in Electrical from the Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India.
How did Satya Nadella become CEO of Microsoft?
Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014 due to his successful leadership in cloud computing and enterprise services. His innovative vision and results-driven approach impressed Microsoft’s board, leading to his promotion.
What was Satya Nadella first job?
Satya Nadella’s first job was at Sun Microsystems, where he worked as a member of the technology staff before joining Microsoft in 1992.
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Perhaps the very 1st college dropout success tale is Microsoft, which was established by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Microsoft, a US-based multinational tech giant, was ranked No. 21 in the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest US companies by total revenue in 2020. It was the largest global technology corporation by revenue, as of 2016. Along with Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook, it is considered one of the Big Five corporations in the United States software industry.
In 2018, Microsoft was declared the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company. In April 2019, Microsoft has become the 3rd U.S. public company to be worth over $1 trillion, behind Amazon and Apple. As of 2020, Microsoft has the third-highest brand value in the world.
Here’s more about this software behemoth and how it came to be known as “Microsoft.”
Microsoft – Company Highlight
Startup Name
Microsoft
Formerly Called
Microsoft Consumer Products (1980–1982)
Headquarters
One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington, U.S.
Industry
Software development, Computer hardware, Consumer electronics, Social networking service, Cloud computing, Video games, Corporate venture capital
Microsoft Corporation, located in Redmond, Washington, is a leading multinational tech company that produces computers, computer software, electronics, and related services.
Microsoft’s best-known software products are the Microsoft Office suite, Windows operating system, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. The company’s main hardware solutions are the Microsoft Surface line of touchscreen personal computers and Xbox video game consoles.
The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office, Skype, cloud-based Office 365, Dynamics, Exchange, SharePoint, LinkedIn), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, SQL Server, Windows Server OS), and more personal computing (Windows Client, display advertising, Bing search, Xbox, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).
Microsoft – Latest News
“Digital technology is a deflationary force in an inflationary economy. Businesses – small and large – can improve productivity and the affordability of their products and services by building tech intensity,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “The Microsoft Cloud delivers the end-to-end platforms and tools organizations need to navigate this time of transition and change.”
As of October 26, 2021, in comparison to the same period previous fiscal year, Microsoft Corporation released the following results for the quarter ending September 30, 2021:
Revenues climbed by 22% to $45.3 billion.
Operating income climbed by 27% to $20.2 billion.
Net income grew 48 percent and 24 percent, respectively, to $20.5 billion GAAP and $17.2 billion non-GAAP.
GAAP diluted profits per share were $2.71, while non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $2.27, representing a 49 percent and 25 percent rise, respectively.
GAAP results include a $3.3 billion net income tax benefit.
“We had a good start to the fiscal year,” Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft, said. “Our Microsoft Cloud generated $20.7 billion in revenue for the quarter, up 36 per cent year over year.”
Microsoft – Industry
The information technology (IT) industry includes firms that produce software, hardware, or semiconductor equipment, as well as companies that provide internet or related services. The three main industry categories in the IT sector are technology hardware, software and services, equipment, and semiconductors and semiconductor tools.
The software solutions industry category includes organisations that provide internet/online and software services as well as IT services. Online services are companies that provide interactive services or online databases, such as social networks or search engines.
IT services are companies that provide data processing services or IT consulting to other companies. Eventually, the software includes all sorts of commercial and consumer software, such as video games as well as business and systems software.
The three industries that make up technology hardware and equipment are Technology hardware, communications equipment, storage and peripherals, and electronic equipment, instruments, and components. Communication equipment includes telephones, routers, and switchboards.
Technology hardware, peripherals, and storage include computers, cell phones, and printers. Electronic equipment, gadgets, and accessories include companies that make barcode scanners, security systems and transformers, as well as distributors and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). An OEM is a company that develops types of equipment that are used in other businesses’ finished products. Many Dell laptops, for example, have Intel processors and Windows pre-installed; Intel and Microsoft may be called Dell’s OEMs.
Semiconductors are materials that can transmit electricity in some situations but not in others, making them excellent for managing currents. Silicon is a very common semiconductor material. This industrial category comprises both semiconductor manufacturers and semiconductor peripheral equipment manufacturers.
Microsoft – Name, Logo, And Tagline
Microsoft is a combination of the words “micro-processors” and “software”.
Microsoft Logo
The Microsoft logo represents technological innovation that, with his Windows operating system, introduced the computer to the average person. Their logo serves as a constant emblem of quality in an operating system named “Windows,” which gives individuals access to the world of technology.
The new tagline for Microsoft, the world leader in operating systems for more than a decade, is “Be what’s next.”
Microsoft – Founders
On April 4, 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen established the company, Microsoft.
Founders of Microsoft – Paul Allen and Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry Gates III is a successful American businessman, investor, author, software developer, and philanthropist. Along with his late childhood mate Paul Allen, he co-founded Microsoft. Gates was the business’s largest individual stakeholder until May 2014, and he acted like the CEO, chairman, president, and principal software architect throughout his time there.
He was the richest person in the world every year from 1995 to 2017, except for 2010 and 2013. He is the founder and chairman of BEN, Cascade Investment, bgC3, and TerraPower, among others. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s biggest private foundation, he has provided huge sums of money to many humanitarian organizations and scientific research initiatives.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen was an American businessman, researcher, investor, programmer and philanthropist. He is primarily remembered for co-founding Microsoft in 1975 with childhood buddy Bill Gates. Forbes listed Allen as the 44th richest person on the planet in 2018. Apex Learning and Stratolaunch Systems, as well as the Allen Institutes for Brain Science, Cell Science, and Artificial Intelligence, were all established by Allen.
He donated more than $2 billion to a variety of organizations, including education, animal and environmental protection, the arts, healthcare, and community services. With SpaceShipOne, he sponsored the first crewed commercial spaceplane in 2004.
He has earned several awards and distinctions in a variety of fields, and in 2007 and 2008, he was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Microsoft – Startup Story
Before co-founding Microsoft, Paul Allen and Bill Gates were ardent computer nerds in an era when computers were scarce. Even in high school, Gates and Allen skipped classes for spending all of their days in the school’s computer room. They were finally caught hacking into the school’s computer, but rather than being deported, they were granted unlimited computer time in exchange for assisting in improving the performance of a computer system.
While still in high school, Gates and Allen founded Traf-O-Data, a modest firm with the support of Paul Gilbert, and sold a computer to the city of Seattle for traffic counts.
In 1973, Gates left Seattle to attend Harvard University as a pre-law student. However, Gates’ first love, programming, never departed him, as he devoted much of his time in Harvard’s computer room polishing his skills. Allen moved to Boston shortly after, functioning as a coder and encouraging Gates to forgo Harvard so that they could work a full-time job on their concepts together.
In January 1975, Allen brought Gates an article on the Altair 8800 microprocessor from Popular Electronics magazine. MITS, the Altair’s maker, was approached by Gates, who offered his and Allen’s services to develop an Altair version of the new Coding language.
MITS decided to sell and commercialize the software under the name Altair BASIC when Allen and Gates presented their program to them after eight weeks. Gates and Allen were so enthused by the sale that they decided to start their software firm. As a result, on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico—the origin of MITS—Microsoft was created, with Bill Gates as its first CEO.
The business opened its first international office less than a year later, in August 1977. ASCII Microsoft was the name of the Japanese branch. In 1979, the firm relocated to Bellevue, Washington, and two years later, Microsoft Inc. was formed. Allen was executive vice president while Bill was chairman and president of the board of directors.
Microsoft – Mission and Vision
Microsoft’s mission statement says, “Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
Microsoft’s vision statement is “to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.” The notion stated in this vision statement is how the organization goes above and beyond to help its clients make good changes.
Microsoft – Products
Microsoft’s products are quite numerous, and a significant portion of them are aimed at businesses and business customers. Until a few years ago, Microsoft’s products were largely desktop apps. Things have changed drastically over the years, with Microsoft creating a slew of discrete online and mobile apps for individual users.
A few of the products are:
Microsoft Windows
Bing
MS DOS
Skype
LinkedIn
Windows Phone
Microsoft Solitaire
Visual Studio
X Box 360
Microsoft Office
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft – Business Model and Revenue Model
Microsoft’s primary revenue and profits come from developing, manufacturing, licensing, supporting, and selling a wide range of hardware and software products, cloud-based services, and services that integrate with them, as well as producing appropriate digital advertising that reaches a worldwide audience, conserving and expand its field of view and foundation.
The following are the three primary segments of Microsoft Revenue Generation:
Business Processes and Productivity – It comprises income from the sale and licensing of the company’s various software products and cloud services for various devices and platforms. Office 365 Suite, Outlook.com, Exchange Email Platforms, OneDrive and SharePoint Content Management Tools, Skype Call Services, and others are examples of such goods and services.
Intelligent Cloud – Revenues from Microsoft’s server products and cloud storage services are included. Sales and licencing of Visual Studio, Microsoft SQL Server, System Center, Microsoft Azure, and Windows Service, among other products, support Microsoft’s commercial strategy.
Personal Computing – It comprised revenue from Microsoft services and products that give developers, professionals, and end-users cross-platform functionality. Microsoft makes money from licensing Windows OS, Windows Phones, and Microsoft patents, as well as selling mobile phones and PC peripherals.
It also makes money from selling and licensing Microsoft Xbox gaming systems, as well as Xbox live subscriptions, transactions, advertising, and royalties from third-party video games. Search advertising on the Bing Search Engine and proceeds from display advertising on the MSN portal is also included in this category.
Microsoft – Funding and Investors
Date
Round
Amount
Lead Investors
Sep 1, 1981
Venture Round
$1M
Technology Venture Investors
Microsoft – Investments
Date
Organization Name
Round
Amount
Sep 29, 2021
Truveta
Corporate Round
–
Aug 17, 2021
Rubrik
Corporate Round
–
Jul 29, 2021
OYO
Series F
$5M
Jun 4, 2021
Intelight
Seed Round
CA$1.5M
Jun 3, 2021
Sibucayi
Pre-Seed Round
$1K
Jun 1, 2021
One Store
Venture Round
₩17B
May 25, 2021
Siemens Healthineers
Grant
$2.5M
Apr 14, 2021
Bukalapak
Venture Round
$234M
Mar 1, 2021
Loggi
Series F
$212M
Feb 1, 2021
Databricks
Series G
$1B
Microsoft – Acquisitions
Acquiree Name
About Acquiree
Date
Amount
Clear Software
Clear Software is an Intelligent Automation platform that protects and extends technology investments.
Oct 22, 2021
–
Ally.io
Ally.io is a strategic goal-planning and execution management software.
Oct 7, 2021
$76M
TakeLessons
TakeLessons is an ed-tech company with a robust, engaging learning platform and community for lifelong learning.
Sep 10, 2021
–
Clipchamp
Clipchamp is the video editing platform that empowers anyone to tell stories worth sharing.
Sep 7, 2021
–
Peer5
Peer5 operates the world’s largest peer-to-peer (p2p) content delivery network.
Aug 10, 2021
–
Suplari
Suplari focuses on leveraging machine learning to help enterprises change the way they manage their suppliers and costs.
Jul 28, 2021
–
CloudKnox Security
CloudKnox develops a multi-cloud permissions management platform that protects critical cloud infrastructure resources and identities.
Jul 21, 2021
–
RiskIQ
RiskIQ is a security company that provides digital threat management solutions for software vendors.
Jul 11, 2021
$500M
ReFirm Labs
ReFirm Labs is a group of IoT security experts that develops a new method for vetting and validating firmware.
Jun 2, 2021
–
Kinvolk
Kinvolk is a software development company with commercial support for Linux, Kubernetes, and consulting across the cloud-native stack.
Apr 29, 2021
–
Microsoft – Growth
As of July 2021, Microsoft reported $46.2 billion in revenue, $16.5 billion in net income, and $2.17 in profits per share for the quarter. The company’s revenues increased by 21% year over year, but its net income increased by a more robust 47 percent.
First and foremost, Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, saw a 51 percent increase in revenue in the quarter compared to the same quarter a year earlier, a number that would drop to 45 percent if currency changes were taken into account, according to the firm. According to preliminary research, the 51 percent rate is the company’s highest Azure growth since the fiscal Q3 2020 period or the first calendar quarter of last year.
Taking a look at the rest of the company’s performance, we may rank the revenue growth outcomes of its three main divisions as follows:
Intelligent Cloud has grown by 30%, thanks in part to Azure’s expansion.
Productivity and Business Processes: 21% increase, with LinkedIn (46%) and the Dynamics 365 CRM solution leading the way (49 percent growth).
More Personal computing is growing at a rate of 9%, with search leading the way (53 per cent, excluding traffic acquisition costs).
Microsoft – Competitors
The top competitors of Microsoft are Apple, Sony, Samsung, Mozilla, Logitech International, Google, IBM, Cisco, VM Ware, SAP, Salesforce, Red Hat, AWS, Oracle Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud.
Mobile – The fact that Microsoft has yet to figure out how to break into the mobile market is, of course, its largest and most obvious weakness. The mobile market share of Microsoft is now at 3.5%. This is a pitiful figure when compared to Apple’s 14.8 percent and Google/Android’s 80.2 percent.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s Surface tablet has only managed to capture less than 3% of the tablet market. As a result, Windows is the only major operating system without a functional mobile component.
Ecosystem – Additional problem for Microsoft would be that their platform isn’t up to par. Of course, there is one exception: Office 365. However, its Windows Store is about a fifth the size of the App Store and Google Play, Microsoft only recently released a free online version of its Office suite, Bing remains a distant second to Google Search, and Google’s Chrome browser surpassed Internet Explorer in total market share for the first time this month, and it doesn’t have a viable iTunes competitor.
Microsoft – Future Plans
For years, Microsoft has preached about the promise of rapid IoT growth via sensors and simple devices, all while creating a cloud empire and covertly acquiring startups that will help it manage these billions of cloud-connected devices.
According to some estimates, there are now 22 billion linked gadgets, with that number expected to rise to 50 billion this year, by 2025, or 2030, depending on whose study you trust. Although there is some debate over how many devices will be linked to the internet and when they will do so, Nadella has rebuilt Windows and Azure to prepare for it.
Microsoft also faces stiff competition from companies wishing to handle the billions of internet-connected gadgets. ARM, Qualcomm, Amazon, Huawei, Qualcomm, IBM, Intel, Dell, Google, Cisco, HP, Samsung, Oracle, and others are vying for a slice of this growing market, however, there is no definite victor yet. If the software titan is to succeed, it will have to persuade competitors and form partnerships with a large number of them. And this was why in current history, Microsoft has partnered with Cortana and Amazon on Sony on the future of cloud gaming, Alexa integration, Walmart on grocery store innovation, Samsung on Android apps, and many others.
Nadella made it absolutely clear that the company is devoting a considerable amount of resources to see what the next big thing is. Simultaneously, they aren’t asserting that this is their way of implying that this one item will consume all of Android, Windows, and iOS. People have generally grasped that Windows has a billion users worldwide, Android has 2 billion, and iOS has a billion. And it’s not like either of them was responsible for the death of another.
Microsoft – FAQs
What does Microsoft do?
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company based in Redmond, Washington, that makes computer software and hardware, consumer devices, computers, and associated services.
Who founded Microsoft?
On April 4, 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen launched Microsoft.
How does Microsoft make money?
Microsoft’s primary revenue and profits come from developing, manufacturing, licensing, supporting, and selling a wide range of hardware and software products, cloud-based services, and services that integrate with them, as well as producing appropriate digital advertising that reaches a worldwide audience, conserving and expand its field of view and foundation.
Who is the current CEO of Microsoft?
Satya Nadella is the current CEO of Microsoft.
Which companies do Microsoft compete with?
The top competitors of Microsoft are Apple, Sony, Samsung, Mozilla, Logitech International, Google, IBM, Cisco, VM Ware, SAP, Salesforce, Red Hat, AWS, Oracle Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud.
After Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, Satya Nadella is the third person to ever become the CEO of Microsoft. Satya Nadella has achieved great heights of success in his career, and being the CEO of Microsoft has taken him to the next level of achievement. He has briefly described his life journey throughout the book ‘Hit Refresh’, which he authored.
He became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014 after Steve Ballmer. Satya Nadella is married to Anupama and together they have three children; one son and two daughters. Satya Nadella’s residence is in Clyde Hill and Bellevue, Washington.
Before this enormous promotion, he worked as the executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise area. All over, he managed the responsibility of Microsoft’s computing platform.
Ever since 2014, Satya Nadella has worked remarkably well and took Microsoft to some great advancement and also brought potential companies and technology to work with. Microsoft received many generous and successful acquisitions. The first-ever major deal cracked by Satya Nadella as the CEO was of Mojang (a Swedish game company) which was worth $2.5 billion.
In this article, we will discuss some of the unknown and interesting facts about Satya Nadella that you must know. Let’s get started!
Satya Nadella served 23-years in Microsoft before becoming the CEO
Most people don’t know this, but Satya Nadella has served 23 years at Microsoft before becoming the CEO. During these 23 years, he worked in various executive-level roles such as Microsoft’s Server and Tool division management. In this position, he gave rise to many billions of revenue, especially in the Cloud and Enterprise group.
Satya Nadella married his childhood sweetheart Anupama, who is the daughter of his father’s friend.
Anupama and Satya had also been College mates although Anupama was a year junior at Manipal, where she pursued B. Arch at the Faculty of Architecture. The couple got married in 1992, the same year when Satya Nadella joined Microsoft. They have two daughters and a son.
Satya Nadella Transformed Windows Live Search into Bing
The most incredible work by Satya Nadella when he transformed the Windows Live Search into Bing. This serves as the backbone to a fancy range of Microsoft Services internationally.
Moreover, Satya Nadella is also credited for directing the team which created Office 365, SkyDrive, Xbox Live and many other Microsoft Cloud applications.
Satya Nadella has a Legendary Belief for Computing
Satya Nadella always believed that Computing extended far beyond the Computer. He has always stood by this and developed many brilliant programs. In fact, when he became the CEO of Microsoft, he addressed the employees with the first email as “This is a software-powered world.”
Bill Gates Mentored Satya Nadella
Bill Gates with Satya Nadella
This is known by very few that when Satya Nadella took over the job of CEO of Microsoft in 2014, Bill Gates re-joined the company to guide and mentor Nadella personally. He joined as the personal mentor of Satya Nadella.
Satya Nadella Loves Poetry
Satya Nadella is fond of poetry. In fact, his official Microsoft’s profile has mentioned poetry as one of Nadella’s hobbies. Satya Nadella is passionate about Indian and American poetry. He expresses them as code for long sentences with great emotions. He deeply compares the verses to coding.
Satya Nadella is a great inspiration for the students at the school where he completed his schooling, Alma mater. Times of India noted that the students follow him deeply and get really inspired.
Satya Nadella came in the Spark Program at the Hyderabad Public School (first chosen for this program). In this program, the team utilised Microsoft materials and software to help and guide the young Indian students to kickstart their careers in tech.
Satya Nadella met with many government officials for the purpose of improving IT education in schools all over India.
Satya Nadella is a massive cricket fan
Satya Nadella is a massive Cricket fan
Satya Nadella is a massive cricket fan and also said, it inspires him in the way he does the business. Cricket has made a great impact on Nadella’s life. He told this in an interview with Hyderabad’s Deccan Chronicle. He mentioned that he used to play Cricket in his school- Hyderabad Public School. This taught him great values but most of all, how to manage a team and leadership. This helped him a lot in his career.
Satya Nadella is the most Powerful Indian-born tech Executive
Satya Nadella is known to be one of the most powerful Indian-born businessmen in the world. According to a report by Reuters, when Satya Nadella became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he became famous as the most influential and powerful Indian tech executive in the world.
Furthermore, he joined PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi among the Indians by becoming the most prominent and widely famous in the world and reaching the top American cooperation companies.
Satya Nadella has worked with great devotion towards Microsoft. He is taking the company to a next level of advancements and development. In Nadella’s book, he mentioned how he saw a different level of upgradation in Microsoft through the HoloLens device.
He said that it holds many potential realty holdings. And so artificial intelligence and quantum computing are also developing brilliantly. The Microsoft team is working with excellent speed and plan to prepare for the more uprising future of Microsoft.
Satya Nadella is the perfect personality for the CEO of Microsoft and no doubt in the upcoming years, we will see more growth and advancement in Microsoft.
FAQ
What is the monthly salary of Satya Nadella?
The monthly income of Satya Nadella is $3 Million.
What is Satya Nadella leadership style?
Satya Nadella believes in the power of positive leadership and uses terms such as “growth mindset” and “empathy” that are reinforced by action.
What is Satya Nadella net worth?
The estimated Net Worth of Satya Nadella is at least $658 Million dollars as of 2021.
