Announcing the Microsoft Store Awards 2025 winners Windows Developer Blog
On July 29, 2015, Microsoft released the next version of the Windows operating system, Windows 10. On January 21, 2015, Microsoft announced the release of their first Interactive whiteboard, Microsoft Surface Hub (part of the Surface family). On September 15, 2014, Microsoft acquired the video game development company Mojang, best known for its wildly popular flagship game Minecraft, for $2.5 billion (~$3.25 billion in 2024). On April 25, 2014, Microsoft acquired Nokia Devices and Services for $7.2 billion (~$9.37 billion in 2024). The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) was launched in October 2013 and Microsoft was part of the coalition of public and private organizations that also included Facebook, Intel and Google. On September 3, 2013, Microsoft agreed to buy Nokia's mobile unit for $7 billion (~$9.27 billion in 2024).
- On June 15, 2000, the company released a new version of its hand-held operating system, Windows CE 3.0.
- In 2008, Microsoft wanted to purchase Yahoo (first completely, later partially) in order to strengthen its position on the search engine market vis-à-vis Google.
- The station was launched on July 15, 1996, to compete with similar news outlets such as CNN.
- In November 1996, Microsoft Office 97 was released, which is the first version to include Office Assistant.
- In June 2016, Microsoft announced a project named Microsoft Azure Information Protection.
- Moon Invoice’s Invoice Maker & Estimate Creator automates business finance tasks with customizable templates, and instant printing and sharing via WhatsApp or email.
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The company also released the Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, which had built-in support for internet applications. In March 1992, Microsoft released Windows 3.1 along with its first promotional campaign on TV; the software sold over three million copies in its first two months on the market. Microsoft Works, an integrated office program which combined features typically found in a word processor, spreadsheet, database and other office applications, saw its first release as an application for the Apple Macintosh towards the end of 1986. By then the company was the world's largest producer of software for personal computers—ahead of former leader Lotus—and published the three most-popular Macintosh business applications.
Microsoft AI’s design head wants her team to be AI-native by the end of the fiscal year
On February 20, 2019, Microsoft Corp said it will offer its cyber security service AccountGuard to 12 new markets in Europe including Germany, France and Spain, to close security gaps and protect customers in political space from hacking. December also saw the company rebuilding Microsoft Edge as a Chromium-based browser; it was publicly released on January 15, 2020. On June 8, 2017, Microsoft acquired Hexadite, an Israeli security firm, for $100 million (~$125 million in 2024).
- On April 25, 2014, Microsoft acquired Nokia Devices and Services for $7.2 billion (~$9.37 billion in 2024).
- In 1997, Internet Explorer 4.0 was released, marking the beginning of the takeover of the browser market from rival Netscape, and by agreement with Apple, Internet Explorer was bundled with the Apple Macintosh operating system as well as with Windows.
- On June 26, 2009, Microsoft started taking pre-orders at a discounted price for Windows 7 which was launched on October 22, 2009.
- Word was first released in the spring of 1983, and free demonstration copies of the application were bundled with the November 1983 issue of PC World, making it one of the first programs to be distributed on-disk with a magazine.
- The server sibling to Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, was released in September 2016.
- The documents also alluded to legal and other actions against Linux as well as other open source software.
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In November 1996, Microsoft Office 97 was released, which is the first version to include Office Assistant. While Microsoft largely failed to participate in the rise of the Internet in the early 1990s, some of the key technologies in which the company had invested to enter the Internet market started to pay off by the mid-90s. Microsoft entered the personal digital assistant (PDA) market in November with Windows CE 1.0, a new built-from-scratch version of their flagship operating system, designed to run on low-memory, low-performance machines, such as handhelds and other small computers. In an attempt to extend its reach in the consumer market, the company acquired WebTV, which enabled consumers to access the Web from their televisions. Microsoft also launched Slate, an online magazine edited by Michael Kinsley, which offered political and social commentary along with the cartoon Doonesbury.
On July 31, 2012, Microsoft launched the Outlook.com webmail service beta to compete with Gmail. A developer preview was released on September 13, and was replaced by a consumer preview on February 29, 2012. Following the release of Windows Phone, Microsoft underwent a gradual rebranding of its product range throughout 2011 and 2012—the corporation's logos, products, services and websites adopted the principles and concepts of the Metro design language. On May 10, 2011, the company acquired Skype Technologies for US$8.5 billion (~$11.7 billion in 2024).
The station was launched on July 15, 1996, to compete with similar news outlets such as CNN. On August 24, 1995, it launched a major online service, MSN (Microsoft Network), as a direct competitor to AOL. The success of the web caught them by surprise and they subsequently approached Spyglass to license their browser as Internet Explorer. The interface was discontinued in 1996 due to poor sales; Bill Gates later attributed its failure to hardware requirements that were too high for typical computers, and is widely regarded as one of Microsoft's most unsuccessful products. In October, Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released with integrated networking abilities such as peer-to-peer file and printing sharing. Novell, an owner of WordPerfect for a time, alleged that Microsoft used its inside knowledge of the DOS and Windows kernels and of undocumented Application Programming Interface features to make Office perform better than its competitors.
The app features Karaoke mode for any track in any app (lyrics optional), letting users sing along or create custom mixes instantly. In October 2021, Microsoft announced that it began rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) support for Microsoft Teams calls in order to secure business communication while using video conferencing software. The app’s secure digital record-keeping, multi-channel communication and rapid document sharing make it a comprehensive solution for business owners seeking efficiency and control. The app closely mirrors the web experience while providing unique Windows-only productivity enhancements, including IT policy controls and a privacy-first approach for business users. In December 2022, Microsoft announced a new 10-year deal with the London Stock Exchange for products including Microsoft Azure; Microsoft acquired ~4% of the latter company as part of the deal.
The acquisition positioned Microsoft to grow its presence in the market of providing an online education to large numbers of people. In early September 2021, it was announced that the company had acquired Takelessons, an online platform which connects students and tutors in numerous subjects. On November 10, 2020, Microsoft released the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S slotrize casino registration video game consoles. On September 22, 2020, Microsoft announced that it had an exclusive license to use OpenAI’s GPT-3 artificial intelligence language generator. On July 31, 2020, it was reported that Microsoft was in talks to acquire TikTok after the Trump administration ordered ByteDance to divest ownership of the application to the U.S. On July 22, 2020, Microsoft announced plans to close its Mixer service, planning to move existing partners to Facebook Gaming.
On June 15, 2006, Bill Gates announced his plans for a two-year transition period out of a day-to-day role with Microsoft until July 31, 2008. Activity grew quickly as developers from around the world began to participate, and by early 2007 commercial open source companies, such as Aras Corp. began to offer enterprise open source software exclusively on the Microsoft platform. Soon afterward, Microsoft created the CodePlex collaborative development site for hosting open source projects. In guise of competing with other Internet Companies such as the search service Google, in 2005 Microsoft announced a new version of its MSN search service. However, Microsoft encountered more turmoil in March 2004 when antitrust legal action would be brought against it by the European Union for allegedly abusing its market dominance (see Microsoft Corp. v. Commission).
On the advertisement side of the deal, Microsoft's Atlas ad-serving division became the exclusive provider of previously unsold advertising inventory on Viacom owned web sites. The deal also made Viacom a preferred publisher partner for casual game development and distribution through MSN and Windows. The deal allowed Microsoft to license many shows from Viacom owned cable television and film studios for use on Xbox Live and MSN. On December 19, 2007, Microsoft signed a five-year, $500 million (~$727 million in 2024) contract with Viacom that included content sharing and advertisements.
FileCloud offers a secure and easy-to-use file sharing solution that can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. MyDataWorker automates document requests and enables secure file sharing with integrations like OneDrive and Google Drive. Virtru Secure Share is noted for its integration with Google Drive and secure file sharing capabilities, making it easy to share sensitive documents securely. LiquidFiles is highly recommended for its ease of use and secure file sharing capabilities. Egnyte is highly praised for its robust security features and flexibility.
Its “Manus’s Computer” interface lets users observe, pause or guide ongoing actions live, while a multi-agent system plans and executes workflows like data analysis, content creation and report generation. Moon Invoice’s Invoice Maker & Estimate Creator automates business finance tasks with customizable templates, and instant printing and sharing via WhatsApp or email. Whether you’re an app enthusiast or a developer looking to make your mark, discover more about our ongoing commitment to innovation and how you can join the thriving Microsoft Store community. We are proud to announce this year’s winners, each exemplifying technical excellence, user satisfaction and transformative potential.
Finally, a great deal of controversy took place when a set of internal memos from the company were leaked on the Internet. Microsoft launched its Indian headquarters as well, which would eventually become the company's second largest after its U.S. headquarters. Windows 98 came with Internet Explorer 4.0 SP1 (which had Windows Desktop Update bundled), and included new features from Windows 95 OSR 2.x including the FAT32 file system, and new features designed for Windows 98, such as support for multiple displays. The year 1998 was significant in Microsoft's history, with Bill Gates appointing Steve Ballmer as president of Microsoft but remaining as chair and CEO himself.
