Microsoft

Microsoft

Executive summary

Company Overview

The company which is known today has Microsoft started in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen which sold their first program to a small company in Albuquerque, New York. This programme was called Basic. A licensing agreement was signed with MITs for the basic interpreter. In 1978Microsoft had accumulated a yearly sales of ?16,000, Figures have showed that in July 2009 Microsoft had profit revenue of around $58 million. Has time and technology changes Microsoft had face diverse challenges and relocates in New Mexico, Washington and still continuing to launch in different countries. Microsoft went public on March 13th 1986, during this time they had introduced window 1.0 and had continued to launch new products such as window 2000 and their latest technology window 7. But one of Microsoft best selling products was window vista which was launched in 2007; this product had generated the majority of income.

Microsoft is today's leading computer technology developing software, hardware, services and solution to help transform a better way for people to work, play and communicate. With the reputation and image Microsoft has establish, it's no wonder why they employs 93,000 staffs, 56,000 are within the USA and 37,000 internationally. Research has also shown that Microsoft employs 75.4% of males and 24.6% or female; this is because a lot more males are interested in engineering and computer development strategies.

Microsoft makes a profit by developing, manufacturing, licensing and supporting a range of product including software and services for different computing devices.

Microsoft concept of creativity and innovation

Microsoft has always believed in creativity, this has been shown through all the software, hardware and services they have provided and developed. With innovation being so important today, Microsoft makes it their contractual obligation and intent to help business and customer to have the latest technology to help make life easier. "(Arnold Wasserman 2003) States, 'it's taking creative ideas and bringing them into the world so that they change lives, and so they also change the organisations that bring them into the world.''. Going back to the beginning when Microsoft start in 1975, it had taken a creative mined to introduce such programme, but research have showed that Microsoft wasn't innovated, its key products where copies of previous products.

1. Microsoft products which are essentially reimplementation of previous products

Microsoft first programme Basic which was released in 1975 wasn't invented by them; this was just a reimplementation from the previous Basic programme developed in 1964 under the directory of Kemeny and T. Kurtz from Dartmouth College. Microsoft has been creative to some extend such as using a previous product and changing it so that everyone can benefit from it today, but Microsoft was not very innovative and should not have claimed to be innovative when they had not created such programmes. (Wheeler D 2006) states, "All major Microsoft products are essentially re-implementations of previous products; none are fundamentally innovative''.

2. Example of how Microsoft uses their techniques to make other business successful.

In January 2008 Microsoft has put forward a new E-Government platform to put technology to work for governments and citizen. Microsoft introduced a new strategy for government and citizen to interact easier and at the same time save tax payer money. Also invest locally in programme such as the Microsoft IT Academy to give student and faculties relevant IT skills

Microsoft has invested in more than 40 R&D and innovation centres in Europe, investing nearly $600 million a year in research and development. (Courtois J) president for Microsoft internet noted ''when it comes to making investment in growth, Microsoft is walking the talk in Europe''.

Here we have PING manufacturing company innovating gold equipment for over 50 years having wanted to be at the forefront of new product development and saving time. PING wanted an improved collaboration solution and a better search tool for its employees, Microsoft communication and collaboration solution was chosen, which also provide PING with an integrated search component. This had made it easier for PING employees to find and share product information easily. PING now produced more products in a fast time, thanks to Microsoft. (Shoenhair D) director of analysis and testing states, ''for PING, bringing innovative products to market is mission-critical. By using SharePoint Server, we're achieving this more quickly so we can build a competitive edge''.

Another example of Microsoft innovation are Pioneer electronics who sells Pioneer and premier after market car audio, navigator and accessories, where looking for a better way to support their dealer. Pioneer build social network using Microsoft software, and now launched an online community to share knowledge, promote their stores, expand dealers channels and increase dealers loyalty and levels of training.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen motivation in starting this creative /innovative venture

Paul Allen and was an American computer programmer and entrepreneur he co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gate and both had a love for computers and a passion to start their own business together. At thirteen Bill Gates took an interest in programming the CE system in basic for the motor club at his Lake Side school. Bill Gate had high interest and belief in this programme and wrote his first computer programme on this machine. Paul Allen and Bill Gate found a venture called Traf-O-Data this was to make traffic counters based on the Intel 8008 processor. This was the first step towards making a substantial difference in consumer's lifestyle.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen creativity roles.

Bill Gate had contacted MITS to inform them that they were working on a Basic interpreter, but in reality Bill Gate and Paul Allen didn't have any code. Over a few weeks they had developed an Altair Emulator which ran a micro-computer and then the Basic interpreter.

The effects and creativity within the organisational structure of Microsoft

How Microsoft organisational culture fosters creativity and innovation in there workplace.

Reference

History of Microsoft http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/History/The-History-of-Microsoft-1975 (Accessed 6th November 2009)

Microsoft vision and strategy http://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/vision.mspx#strat (Accessed 15th November 2009)

Microsoft press past, Facts about Microsoft Available from: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/inside_ms.mspx (Accessed 15th November 2009)

Microsoft report 2009 Available from: http://www.microsoft.com/msft/reports (Accessed 18th November 2009)

Connected innovation Available from: http://www.microsoft.com/industry/manufacturing/consumergoods/solutions/innovation_management.mspx (Accessed 18th November 2009)

Creativity and innovation Available from: http://ideaflow.corante.com/archives/2003/06/09/the_difference_between_creativity and_innovation.php (Accessed 19th November 2009)

A brief history of the development of Basic Available from: http://www.fys.ruu.nl/~bergmann/history.html (Accessed 22nd November 2009)

Microsoft the innovator Available from: http://www.dwheeler.com/innovation/microsoft.html (Accessed 22nd November2009) http://askville.amazon.com/SimilarQuestions.do?req=motivated-Bill-Gates-create-Microsoft-company-young-age

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