Microsoft
Large software and hardware developer, by sales value their software division is second only to SAP worldwide. The company was the co-author of PC-DOS and OS/2 1.x alongside IBM and the developer of Microsoft Windows, although both DOS and Windows were originally acquired from other companies. The company originally styled its name as MicroSoft as it was a shortened combination of the words "Microcomputer Software".
The company was founded in April 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen with the intent of delivering programming products for microcomputers, initially focusing on the FOCAL and BASIC languages due to their small sizes. The company first hit their stride after Altair hired them to deliver a Basic interpreter for the 8800 personal computer.
