Microsoft Corporation

   The world's largest and most successful software company, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

   Microsoft's great initial success was in supplying IBM with the PC-DOS operating system for the IBM PC and then providing versions of MS-DOS to the clone manufacturers. Microsoft released Windows 3 in May 1990 and continued to upgrade Windows regularly. The release of Windows NT during 1993 consolidated Microsoft's position as a leading developer of operating systems, and Windows 2000 will continue this trend.

   In addition to operating systems and its extensive computer language products, Microsoftmarketsawiderangeofapplications, including Microsoft Word, a word processor; Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet; Microsoft Access, a database program; Microsoft Publisher, a desktop publishing program; and Microsoft Office, an integratedsoftwaresuite.Microsoftalsoprovidesan extensive set of Internet-related products, including Internet Explorer, FrontPage, and Internet Information Server.

   The Microsoft consumer division now has more than 50 products, including popular multimedia titles such as Encarta and Cinemania, an interactive movie guide. Microsoft Press publishes and distributes computer-related books and CD-ROM products to bookstores.

   For more information on Microsoft, see www.microsoft.com.