Microsoft Part 6
1999
January 8 Microsoft launches Encarta Africana, the first comprehensive encyclopedia of black history and culture.
February 24 Microsoft opens its first online store, Shop.
March 18 Bill Gates introduces Internet Explorer 5.0 at a launch event on the Microsoft campus in Redmond.. By the following week, more than 1 million downloads of the new version have taken place.
March 24 Bill Gates releases his latest book, Business @ the Speed of Thought, published by Warner Books. At the heart of the new book is a single idea: For businesses to think and move quickly enough to succeed in the fast-paced digital economy, they must enable the flow of digital information.
June 7 Steve Ballmer officially launches Microsoft Office 2000, a key element of the company's vision of "Knowledge Workers Without Limits."
September 13 Microsoft announces Windows Distributed interNet Architecture (Windows DNA) 2000, a comprehensive, integrated platform for building and operating state-of-the-art distributed Web applications as well as the next wave of Internet-based Web services.
Stats
Revenues: $19.75B % Growth 29%
Employees:31,575
Net Income (US$) $7.79B % Growth 73%
2000
January 7 Microsoft acquires Visio Corporation, the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history.
January 13 Bill Gates creates a new role for himself chairman and chief software architect so that he can dedicate all of his time to helping drive the next-generation Windows Internet platform and services. Steve Ballmer becomes president and CEO, and will take over management of the company.
February 17 Microsoft launches Windows 2000
April 3 Microsoft announces the retail availability of Microsoft Project 2000 and the companion, Web-based Microsoft Project Central, a major upgrade to the world's best-selling project-management software, with more than 5 million users.
June 22 Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer outline Microsoft's .NET strategy for Web services the vision and road map for its next generation of software and services. Microsoft .NET (pronounced dot net) will provide easier, more personalized, and more productive Internet experiences by harnessing constellations of smart devices and Web sites with advanced software through Internet protocols and formats.
September 14 Microsoft announces the availability of Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me).
September 20 Warner Books publishes Inside Out, Microsoft—In Our Own Words, a commemorative 25th anniversary book.
Stats
Revenues: $22.96B % Growth 16%
Employees:39,170
Net Income (US$) $9.42B % Growth 21%
2001
February 13 Microsoft Windows XP operating system makes its public debut at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.
May 31 Microsoft Office XP launches, promising to unlock hidden knowledge and unleash the next wave of productivity gains
October 25 Microsoft Windows XP is released worldwide.
November 15 Microsoft Xbox® launches, offering the only system on the market designed from the ground up to deliver a complete online gaming experience.
Stats
Revenues: $25.30B % Growth 10%
Employees:48,030
Net Income (US$) $7.35B % Growth -22%
June 30, 2001
2002
January 15 Bill Gates outlines Microsoft's commitment to Trustworthy Computing
February 13 Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET launches during the VSLive! Conference in San Francisco.
March 18 Microsoft and those states not agreeing to the settlement reached by the U.S. Department of Justice began a trial on remedies in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
April 4 Microsoft President Rick Belluzzo, appointed to his post slightly more than a year ago, is stepping down.
July 1 Today at Microsoft Tech•Ed 2002 Europe, Microsoft launched Microsoft Visual J#® .NET, a development tool for Java-language developers building applications and services on the Microsoft .NET Framework. The launch of Visual J# .NET signals the completion and availability of all the Microsoft programming languages within Visual Studio .NET, including Visual C++® .NET, Visual C#® .NET and Visual Basic® .NET.
August 8 Microsoft Reaches an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission on Passport.
October 23 Microsoft today will unveil MSN 8 with a celebration in Manhattan's Central Park, the first stop on a national tour intended to show consumers why a recent study revealed that three out of four people prefer the new MSN 8 software to AOL 8.
November 1 Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (U.S. District Court–Washington, D.C.) issues her final judgment conditionally approving the settlement Microsoft reached with the federal government and the nine states
November 7 Microsoft and partners launch Tablet PC
Stats
Revenues: $28.37B % Growth 12%
Employees:50,621
Net Income (US$) $5.35B* % Growth -28%
2003
Launch of GTSC (Global Technical Support Center) in Bangalore, India
January 16 Microsoft declares annual dividend
April 16 Windows Server System™ replaces .NET Enterprise Servers as the first official portfolio name that encompasses more than a dozen Microsoft server software offerings, including Windows Server™ 2003. The new Windows Server System brand change informs customers that Windows Server 2003 is at the heart of the company's server strategy and that Microsoft's server software offerings are being designed around a common architecture to ensure interoperability.
April 24 Windows Server 2003 launches. It is the largest software development project in Microsoft history to date.
June 23 Microsoft announces Windows Mobile, a new global brand for Microsoft software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs and smart phones. The new Windows Mobile brand helps customers more readily understand and identify the software inside Pocket PCs and smart phones and the consistent experience they can expect.
October 9 Microsoft opens the inaugural Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference for its global network of industry partners, highlighting resources to drive the success of its industry partners, the innovation of its technology offerings, and a renewed commitment to helping partners capture opportunity.
October 21 Microsoft announces the general availability of the new Microsoft Office System, along with research that shows how leading companies are already gaining a competitive advantage from Microsoft Office System productivity solutions.
November 3 Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) announces the founding of the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Beijing, China, a new division that is to focus on further developing innovations produced in the lab.
November 11 Microsoft shareholders approve the addition of two new directors, Charles H. Noski and Helmut Panke, increasing the size of its board of directors from eight to 10 members.
Stats
Revenues: $32.19B % Growth 13%
Employees:54,468
Net Income (US$) $7.53B* % Growth 29%
2004
March 15 The Shared Source Initiative reaches a milestone of 1 million participants. Through Shared Source programs, Microsoft shares source code with customers, governments, partners, academics, and individuals.
April 2 Microsoft and Sun Microsystems enter into a broad technology collaboration arrangement to enable their products to work better together and to settle all pending litigation between the two companies. The companies also enter into agreements on patents and other issues.
July 20 Microsoft's board of directors approves an $0.08 per share quarterly dividend, plans to buy back up to $30 billion of the company's stock over four years, and a special one-time dividend of $3 per share. In all, $75 billion is to be returned to shareholders over four years.
August 11 Microsoft announces a five-country pilot program for Windows XP Starter Edition, a low-cost introduction to Windows XP designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing technology markets.
October 12 Bill Gates delivers Microsoft's vision of digital entertainment anywhere, unveils Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, and showcases a variety of sleek new computer designs, portable media devices, and digital content services.
December 30 Microsoft announces a commitment of $3.5 million in financial support for relief and recovery efforts in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Stats
Revenues: $36.84B %Growth 14%
Employees:57,086
Net Income (US$) $8.17B % Growth 8%
2005
January 10 Microsoft files a development agreement (DA) with the City of Redmond, WA, outlining its plans to make one of the largest corporate campuses in the world even larger through a major expansion of its corporate headquarters. In the plan, Microsoft also commits up to $30 million to local transportation and infrastructure improvements.
January 11 Microsoft announces the retirement of its Chief Financial Officer of five years, John Connors. He was a 16-year veteran of the company.
January 12 Microsoft Research launches operations at Microsoft Research India (MSRI) in Bangalore. MSRI is to initially focus on geographic information systems (GIS), technologies for emerging markets, multilingual systems, and sensor networks.
February 1 MSN launches a new Search service, available in 25 markets and 10 languages. The new MSN Search service delivers results of greater relevance, instant answers to specific questions, and a collection of tools that give Internet users greater control in targeting and refining searches.
March 30 Microsoft reaches an agreement with the EU to detach MicrosoftMediaplayer from Windows XP - rebranded as WindowsXP N. Microsoft also agrees to pay 497 million Euro in fines.
January 8 Microsoft launches Encarta Africana, the first comprehensive encyclopedia of black history and culture.
February 24 Microsoft opens its first online store, Shop.
March 18 Bill Gates introduces Internet Explorer 5.0 at a launch event on the Microsoft campus in Redmond.. By the following week, more than 1 million downloads of the new version have taken place.
March 24 Bill Gates releases his latest book, Business @ the Speed of Thought, published by Warner Books. At the heart of the new book is a single idea: For businesses to think and move quickly enough to succeed in the fast-paced digital economy, they must enable the flow of digital information.
June 7 Steve Ballmer officially launches Microsoft Office 2000, a key element of the company's vision of "Knowledge Workers Without Limits."
September 13 Microsoft announces Windows Distributed interNet Architecture (Windows DNA) 2000, a comprehensive, integrated platform for building and operating state-of-the-art distributed Web applications as well as the next wave of Internet-based Web services.
Stats
Revenues: $19.75B % Growth 29%
Employees:31,575
Net Income (US$) $7.79B % Growth 73%
2000
January 7 Microsoft acquires Visio Corporation, the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history.
January 13 Bill Gates creates a new role for himself chairman and chief software architect so that he can dedicate all of his time to helping drive the next-generation Windows Internet platform and services. Steve Ballmer becomes president and CEO, and will take over management of the company.
February 17 Microsoft launches Windows 2000
April 3 Microsoft announces the retail availability of Microsoft Project 2000 and the companion, Web-based Microsoft Project Central, a major upgrade to the world's best-selling project-management software, with more than 5 million users.
June 22 Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer outline Microsoft's .NET strategy for Web services the vision and road map for its next generation of software and services. Microsoft .NET (pronounced dot net) will provide easier, more personalized, and more productive Internet experiences by harnessing constellations of smart devices and Web sites with advanced software through Internet protocols and formats.
September 14 Microsoft announces the availability of Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me).
September 20 Warner Books publishes Inside Out, Microsoft—In Our Own Words, a commemorative 25th anniversary book.
Stats
Revenues: $22.96B % Growth 16%
Employees:39,170
Net Income (US$) $9.42B % Growth 21%
2001
February 13 Microsoft Windows XP operating system makes its public debut at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.
May 31 Microsoft Office XP launches, promising to unlock hidden knowledge and unleash the next wave of productivity gains
October 25 Microsoft Windows XP is released worldwide.
November 15 Microsoft Xbox® launches, offering the only system on the market designed from the ground up to deliver a complete online gaming experience.
Stats
Revenues: $25.30B % Growth 10%
Employees:48,030
Net Income (US$) $7.35B % Growth -22%
June 30, 2001
2002
January 15 Bill Gates outlines Microsoft's commitment to Trustworthy Computing
February 13 Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET launches during the VSLive! Conference in San Francisco.
March 18 Microsoft and those states not agreeing to the settlement reached by the U.S. Department of Justice began a trial on remedies in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
April 4 Microsoft President Rick Belluzzo, appointed to his post slightly more than a year ago, is stepping down.
July 1 Today at Microsoft Tech•Ed 2002 Europe, Microsoft launched Microsoft Visual J#® .NET, a development tool for Java-language developers building applications and services on the Microsoft .NET Framework. The launch of Visual J# .NET signals the completion and availability of all the Microsoft programming languages within Visual Studio .NET, including Visual C++® .NET, Visual C#® .NET and Visual Basic® .NET.
August 8 Microsoft Reaches an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission on Passport.
October 23 Microsoft today will unveil MSN 8 with a celebration in Manhattan's Central Park, the first stop on a national tour intended to show consumers why a recent study revealed that three out of four people prefer the new MSN 8 software to AOL 8.
November 1 Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (U.S. District Court–Washington, D.C.) issues her final judgment conditionally approving the settlement Microsoft reached with the federal government and the nine states
November 7 Microsoft and partners launch Tablet PC
Stats
Revenues: $28.37B % Growth 12%
Employees:50,621
Net Income (US$) $5.35B* % Growth -28%
2003
Launch of GTSC (Global Technical Support Center) in Bangalore, India
January 16 Microsoft declares annual dividend
April 16 Windows Server System™ replaces .NET Enterprise Servers as the first official portfolio name that encompasses more than a dozen Microsoft server software offerings, including Windows Server™ 2003. The new Windows Server System brand change informs customers that Windows Server 2003 is at the heart of the company's server strategy and that Microsoft's server software offerings are being designed around a common architecture to ensure interoperability.
April 24 Windows Server 2003 launches. It is the largest software development project in Microsoft history to date.
June 23 Microsoft announces Windows Mobile, a new global brand for Microsoft software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs and smart phones. The new Windows Mobile brand helps customers more readily understand and identify the software inside Pocket PCs and smart phones and the consistent experience they can expect.
October 9 Microsoft opens the inaugural Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference for its global network of industry partners, highlighting resources to drive the success of its industry partners, the innovation of its technology offerings, and a renewed commitment to helping partners capture opportunity.
October 21 Microsoft announces the general availability of the new Microsoft Office System, along with research that shows how leading companies are already gaining a competitive advantage from Microsoft Office System productivity solutions.
November 3 Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) announces the founding of the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Beijing, China, a new division that is to focus on further developing innovations produced in the lab.
November 11 Microsoft shareholders approve the addition of two new directors, Charles H. Noski and Helmut Panke, increasing the size of its board of directors from eight to 10 members.
Stats
Revenues: $32.19B % Growth 13%
Employees:54,468
Net Income (US$) $7.53B* % Growth 29%
2004
March 15 The Shared Source Initiative reaches a milestone of 1 million participants. Through Shared Source programs, Microsoft shares source code with customers, governments, partners, academics, and individuals.
April 2 Microsoft and Sun Microsystems enter into a broad technology collaboration arrangement to enable their products to work better together and to settle all pending litigation between the two companies. The companies also enter into agreements on patents and other issues.
July 20 Microsoft's board of directors approves an $0.08 per share quarterly dividend, plans to buy back up to $30 billion of the company's stock over four years, and a special one-time dividend of $3 per share. In all, $75 billion is to be returned to shareholders over four years.
August 11 Microsoft announces a five-country pilot program for Windows XP Starter Edition, a low-cost introduction to Windows XP designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing technology markets.
October 12 Bill Gates delivers Microsoft's vision of digital entertainment anywhere, unveils Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, and showcases a variety of sleek new computer designs, portable media devices, and digital content services.
December 30 Microsoft announces a commitment of $3.5 million in financial support for relief and recovery efforts in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Stats
Revenues: $36.84B %Growth 14%
Employees:57,086
Net Income (US$) $8.17B % Growth 8%
2005
January 10 Microsoft files a development agreement (DA) with the City of Redmond, WA, outlining its plans to make one of the largest corporate campuses in the world even larger through a major expansion of its corporate headquarters. In the plan, Microsoft also commits up to $30 million to local transportation and infrastructure improvements.
January 11 Microsoft announces the retirement of its Chief Financial Officer of five years, John Connors. He was a 16-year veteran of the company.
January 12 Microsoft Research launches operations at Microsoft Research India (MSRI) in Bangalore. MSRI is to initially focus on geographic information systems (GIS), technologies for emerging markets, multilingual systems, and sensor networks.
February 1 MSN launches a new Search service, available in 25 markets and 10 languages. The new MSN Search service delivers results of greater relevance, instant answers to specific questions, and a collection of tools that give Internet users greater control in targeting and refining searches.
March 30 Microsoft reaches an agreement with the EU to detach MicrosoftMediaplayer from Windows XP - rebranded as WindowsXP N. Microsoft also agrees to pay 497 million Euro in fines.
