One can barely think of computers or infotech without thinking about Microsoft: the two are, inseparable. Today, offices and homes across the globe have opened their doors to Microsoft Windows, which has become an integral part of how people work on thier computers. And it all began with one man's belief that the 'computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home.'
This was the inspiration for one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs Bill Gates to develop software for personal computers. His vision for personal computing has been Microsoft's success mantra.
On June 27, 2008, Gates will step down from the helm of affairs of the world's largest software company that he co-founded in 1975, to pursue philanthropy full time. Gates will, however, continue to serve as Microsoft's non-executive chairman and an advisor on key development projects.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been 'to advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.'
"July 1 is when I make a change. I'll go from being full-time at Microsoft and part-time on the work of my foundation (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to doing it the other way around, full-time on the foundation and part-time with my Microsoft work. Now, that's the first time I've really changed my career since I was 17 years old and just completely immersed in software and the unbelievable ways that software, together with the microprocessor, has created new things, including the personal computer itself and the entire Internet," Gates Gates told software developers at Microsoft's TechEd conference about his transition on June 3.
So how did the Microsoft legend came about? Read on for a glimpse into the fascinating story of the world;s largest software company...
Image: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates answers a question during a press
conference in Tokyo. | Photograph: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images
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