1978 Microsoft
Lead: U.S. tech blog Businessinsider Zhou Erzhuan paper analyzes how Microsoft is one step toward prosperity, and lists the major decisions done during the encounter and good luck.
The following is text of the article:
almost all other start-up companies like Microsoft need to cope with the early establishment of various emergencies, panic contract negotiations to resolve legal disputes.
surprising is that almost all the good luck have stood on the Microsoft side.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (Paul Allen), in his memoirs,
Allen said he and Bill Gates (Bill Gates) established in the early days, Microsoft has done a lot of major decisions, but there are many good luck with the company.
we read
coming from a magazine ad
Altair 8080 microcomputer advertising
1974, the Allen in college part time to stay out of the gates in the distance closer to Massachusetts, He thought of how to open his career in programming. He saw an Altair 8080 microcomputer introduced on the advertising, and gave it to Gates of view, they immediately think they can write for the BASIC programming language Altair.
get the first contracts
Altair manufacturer MITS CEO Edward Roberts gave them a first contract, so let Allen Gates
Contact Altair manufacturer MITS CEO Edward Roberts (Edward Roberts), and told Roberts that they will soon have a finished version of the BASIC programming language. Roberts boasted that if the first hand who can run the BASIC programming language to find him, who will get the contract.
Gates and Allen worked like crazy for 8 weeks, and then Allen came to Albuquerque to Roberts presented their BASIC language, and running smoothly, so they get the contract.
norms to help them win a key contract lawsuit
specifications to help them win a key contract lawsuit
Gates and Allen found them written in BASIC language is not limited to Altair computer, and it is licensed to the other computer manufacturer.
after poor performance when the Altair computer, Roberts is very disappointed and canceled two contracts related to the mandate of BASIC language, so he decided to sell to MITS Pertec, which at that time that they also purchased for the Altair BASIC computer language of authority, including the source code. Microsoft is the only source of income suddenly realized that they faced danger.
Fortunately, Microsoft and MITS has signed an additional contract terms, that is, the promotion of MITS need to do all Microsoft software, otherwise the agreement would be invalid.
Allen recalls, Roberts did not read the contract over the contract before. Microsoft eventually triumph, and won the BASIC language, all authorizations, which can include any person to sell BASIC, and get all the revenue.
early to enter the Japanese market
earlier to enter the Japanese market
when Microsoft was a small company, they began to pay attention when the Japanese market, micro-rapid development of computing in Japan. Microsoft hired one of his name to Katsuhiko (Kay Nishi) beauty sales manager for Microsoft in 1979, which also won a big contract NEC. Gates and Allen often travel to Japan, Japanese officials regularly put the latest 8-bit computers to the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle. Some of them also try to rival machines candid photos.
contract allows Microsoft to become the Japanese market 80 years of last century the undisputed language of microcomputer software providers, but Gates has resisted Japanese companies such as Sony's exclusive partner, he wanted to be more broad mandate BASIC language.
refused 罗斯佩洛特 (Ross Perot) the acquisition proposal
they refused 罗斯佩洛特 (Ross Perot) the acquisition proposal
1979, Microsoft received a billionaire Pei Luote acquisition proposal, Pei Luote had established a data processing company EDS, and has a Perot Systems.
Gates rejected the acquisition proposal to the Peiluo Te wrote that Microsoft will be due in 1980 will double, more than 200 million U.S. dollars. Microsoft's actual revenues for the year of 240 million U.S. dollars.
met with Tim Allen Patterson (Tim Paterson)
Tim Patterson
8-bit computer,
christian louboutin sandals online, Microsoft's license to the field of BASIC language to do very well, but in the end be persuaded to move towards 16-bit computer. In 1979, Allen received a call Patterson the designer, the latter the main design of the prototype 16-bit computer. This cooperation is not very important, but opens the Microsoft future research directions.
Blue thrown an olive branch
Big Blue IBM
thrown an olive branch to 1980, IBM decided to no longer ignore the micro-computer market. They used the way with small companies to quickly enter the market. IBM executives asked Microsoft to develop a secret 16-bit BASIC for IBM's first PC, and other programming languages.
IBM also required to develop 16-bit Microsoft BASIC language talent, who will be sent to the Microsoft Digital Research, which has almost completed the 16-bit version of CP / M system.
Microsoft unexpectedly IBM System Contract
unexpectedly when IBM IBM systems contract decision
signed a contract with Digital Research founder of the latter suddenly found Gehry (Gary Kildall) on a business trip, cover Lane's wife and partner Dorothy conducted negotiations with IBM, but they refused the confidentiality agreement proposed by IBM, and signed a number of contract requirements.
then, IBM has re-select Microsoft, Microsoft to develop for 16-bit operating system.
Microsoft's authorized access to cheap systems
authorized access to cheap system from Seattle Computer Patterson told Allen in Seattle that he has developed called QDOS for 16-bit operating system. Gates was in receipt of orders for IBM's system is not prepared to accept at first, but he realized that if IBM can not find the operating system, Microsoft will lose all contracts.
computer then president of Microsoft and Seattle Rod Brook (Rod Brock) signed a licensing agreement, Microsoft spent $ 25,000 to obtain 16-bit system license.
IBM agreed to maintain the Microsoft patent
IBM agreed to maintain the patent
Microsoft, Microsoft, Altair early cooperation with the accumulated experience, it is not too dependent on one company, so when they are with the IBM DOS contract signed to give up exclusive rights to the high fees, instead asking for DOS to other manufacturers the right to license.
was at IBM in the antitrust investigation of Microsoft received a contract to Microsoft to pay 43 million dollars in the system user fees and consulting fees.
Allen has long recognized that the computer should have many applications
Allen has long recognized that the computer should have many applications
1979 years, before Microsoft and IBM reached an Ai a trade fair in New York, London saw a called VisiCalc on the accounting software, but it only runs on the processor using the Apple II computer. Allen realized that VisiCalc will help Apple sell more computers, and Microsoft wants to create a system that can help the machine run on Apple hardware.
but he will not be popular at that time that the personal computer, unless it has a graphical interface and useful application.
one of the greatest employment
Charles Simonyi was Microsoft's one of the greatest employment
1980 years, a Xerox company's R & D personnel from Charles Simonyi (Charles Simonyi) Contact to Microsoft, and called into the product development department. Allen read his resume was shocked by his office was well-known R & D laboratories Xerox, which invented the graphical user interface, mouse, and laser printers.
Microsoft, Simonyi hired,
discount Prada Sunglasses, he developed a product called Office, the product is now Microsoft's second-largest source of income.
Simonyi left Microsoft in 2002, the software giant also gave him 1.3% of the shares, he later became the first space tourist, respectively, in 2006, 2008, conducted two space travel, for which he paid the Russian Space Agency $ 20,000,000.
history of Microsoft
by Allen's description of Microsoft in the early difficult to believe that Microsoft have today. As of June 30, 2010 fiscal year:
Microsoft has 890 million people
sales reached 62.5 billion
18.8 billion annual profit U.S.
total assets reached 86.1 billion U.S. dollars (including 36.8 billion U.S. dollars in cash and short-term investments)
What is surprising is the company from startup to the present are the main source of income operating systems and some commercial software, the first two product lines:
Windows operating system, 18.4 billion annual revenues, operating profit of 13 billion U.S. dollars
Office and other business software every year revenue of 18.6 billion, operating profit of 11.8 billion dollars. (Xiaoming)
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