Microsoft Corporation (nasdaqMSFT, sehk24338) is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software (computer software) products for computing devices. Headquartered in Redmond (Redmond, Washington), Washington, USA, its most profitable products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.

The company was founded in 1975, to develop and sell BASIC (BASIC programming language) interpreters (interpreter (computer software)) for the Altair 8800. Microsoft rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Windows (Microsoft Windows) line of operating systems. Many of its products have achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. One commentator notes that Microsofts original mission was "a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software." Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta (Encarta) multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse (IntelliPoint) as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune and MSN TV. The companys initial public stock offering (IPO) (IPO) was in 1986; the ensuing rise of the companys stock price has made four billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees.

Throughout its history the company has been the target of criticism (Criticism of Microsoft), including monopolistic (monopoly) business practices and anti-competitive strategies including refusal to deal and tying (Tying (commerce)). The U.S. Justice Department (United States Department of Justice) and the European Commission, among others, have ruled against Microsoft for various antitrust violations accordingly in todays political-cultural climate of mixed economies (Mixed economy) and "public interest of society" (Public interest). (See also United States v. Microsoft, European Union Microsoft competition case.)