Microsoft Corporation

The Basic Microsoft Story

Microsoft's vision is to empower people through great software--any time, any place and on any device. It is the world leader in software for personal and business computing. The success of Bill Gates and the company that he founded in 1975 is lengendary having made him the richest man and his company one of the most recongized in the world. With success has come challenges and accusations of unfair practices and a major antitrust suit.

Understanding Microsoft is to understand the history of the PC segment of the computer industry, the significance and profitabililty of software, the importance of establishing PC standards and the trend to the focus on the Internet and its future role in both business and society.

Microsoft and the Personal and Business Software Segment of the Computer Industry

• Microsoft's Web Page
• Microsoft's 2001 Annual Report
• Microsoft Financial History FY 1985-2001
• Microsoft .NET: A Platform for the Next Generation Internet
• Ballmer: Microsoft taking notice of free rivals Linux, Apache</a
• Microsoft - Past and Present
• Microsoft Profile
• The Economics of the Microsoft Case
• Bill Gates Before Microsoft
• Microsoft is the Wrong Target
• Microsoft Links
• .Net No Elevator Pitch
  

Microsoft and Information Systems Use

• Web Helps Microsoft Automate Its Business
• Microsoft CIO Determined to Play With the Big Boys
• Untethered Doesn't Mean Unsecure
• Devenuti Profile
• Simplifying the Business Model through ASP services

Key People within Microsoft

• Bill Gates, Chairman of Board and Chief Software Architect
• Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer
• Richard Belluzzo, President and Chief Operating Officer
• Rick Devenuti, Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Tips on Doing an Analysis Paper on Microsoft

• The first challenge in doing this paper is to correctly define the industry in which Microsoft competes. It is obviously in the computer software industry but this is very broad. It is in the personal and business software segment and that has been its historical business focus. It probably makes sense to use this as the industry definition but this is still fairly broard. Finally, does it make sense to define Mircosoft's industry based on past performance or whete it seems to be headed? In this regards, what are the Internet implications of its major business strategies. What does .net suggest as to the more accurate description of its industry?
• Because of its significance, it is necessary to pay attention to the antitrust case and the proposed resolution and its related impact on the company.
• Another challenge in doing this paper is getting your arms around a ton of material that is available on Microsoft.
• A second challenge is keeping a focus on using IT to suppport core business processes versus selling software products to customers when you get to Section III of the paper.

Back