During the summer of 2015 the company lost $7.6 billion related to its mobile-phone business, firing 7,800 employees. Since Nadella became CEO, the company has changed focus towards cloud computing. To cope with the potential for an increase in demand for products and services, Microsoft opened a number of "holiday stores" across the U.S. to complement the increasing number of "bricks-and-mortar" Microsoft Stores that opened in 2012. The Surface was unveiled in June 2012, becoming the first computer in the company's history to have its hardware made by Microsoft. Microsoft unveiled Windows 8, an operating system designed to power both personal computers and tablet computers, in Taipei in June 2011. Backed by a high-profile marketing campaign and what The New York Times called "the splashiest, most frenzied, most expensive introduction of a computer product in the industry's history," Windows 95 quickly became a success. Gates called MITS and claimed that he had a working interpreter, and MITS requested a demonstration. Childhood friends Bill spanian casino slots Gates and Paul Allen sought to make a business using their skills in computer programming.
Its flagship hardware products are the Surface lineup of PCs and the Xbox brand of video game consoles, the latter including the Xbox network. Its best-known software products are the Windows line of operating systems and the Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 suite of productivity applications, which most notably include the Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet editor, and PowerPoint presentation program. Microsoft has been dominant in the IBM PC–compatible operating system and office software suite markets since the 1990s. In April 2025, results from a phase III clinical trial involving 559 people with type 2 diabetes who took an oral orforglipron pill or a placebo daily for 40 weeks showed that orforglipron produced a reduction of hemoglobin A1C level by 1.3 to 1.6 percentage points from a starting level of 8%. The results of Phase I safety and Phase II ascending-dose clinical trials enrolling people with obesity or type 2 diabetes were published in 2023. Eli Lilly’s commitment to innovation and patient care shines through, promising a brighter future for those struggling with diabetes and obesity.
In the same month, Microsoft announced the open source implementation of Windows Forms and the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) which will allow for further movement of the company toward the transparent release of key frameworks used in developing Windows desktop applications and software. In August 2018, Microsoft released two projects called Microsoft AccountGuard and Defending Democracy. In May 2018, Microsoft partnered with 17 American intelligence agencies to develop cloud computing products. In March the company also established guidelines that censor users of Office 365 from using profanity in private documents. In March 2018, Microsoft recalled Windows 10 S to change it to a mode for the Windows operating system rather than a separate and unique operating system. Some analysts had deemed this unthinkable ten years prior, however, as in 2001 then-CEO Steve Ballmer called Linux "cancer". On January 24, 2017, Microsoft showcased Intune for Education at the BETT 2017 education technology conference in London.
On August 23, 2012, Microsoft unveiled a new corporate logo at the opening of its 23rd Microsoft store in Boston, indicating the company's shift of focus from the classic style to the tile-centric modern interface, which it uses/will use on the Windows Phone platform, Xbox 360, Windows 8 and the upcoming Office Suites. The corporate headquarters, informally known as the Microsoft Redmond campus, is located at One Microsoft Way in Redmond, Washington. It created one of the world's largest private bus systems, the "Connector", to transport people from outside the company; for on-campus transportation, the "Shuttle Connect" uses a large fleet of hybrid cars to save fuel. In 2013, Microsoft agreed to buy power generated by a Texas wind project to power one of its data centers. At the time, data centers consumed up to 2% of all global electricity, and this amount was projected to increase. In 2011, Greenpeace released a report rating the top ten big brands in cloud computing on the sources of electricity for their data centers. In April 2016, the company sued the U.S. government, argued that secrecy orders were preventing the company from disclosing warrants to customers in violation of the company's and customers' rights.
The drug’s oral form could contribute to reduced healthcare expenditures owing to its simpler mode of delivery and has the potential to be readily manufactured and released into the market. This marked advancement underscores the potential of Orforglipron as an influential medication for diabetic treatment when combined with dietary glycemic control. Such data suggests that with prolonged use of Orforglipron, users could expect ongoing benefits in terms of losing additional body mass, offering new perspectives on managing obesity-related conditions effectively. Results from the trial indicate that participants may not have fully realized their potential for weight loss by the study’s conclusion. Participants had not yet reached a weight plateau by the end of the study, indicating the potential for further weight loss with continued use. These side effects have not prevented Orforglipron from being recognized as potentially safe and effective since its safety profile aligns well with other medications that act on GLP-1 receptors.
It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world" by the BBC, and is one of the world's most valuable brands. Concerns were raised about Microsoft's licensing practices potentially locking customers into its services and its AI investments possibly sidestepping regulatory oversight. Microsoft's Teams usage soared during the pandemic, growing from 2 million daily users in 2017 to 300 million in 2023. The European Commission issued a statement of objections, alleging Microsoft's practice since 2019 gave Teams an unfair market advantage and limited interoperability with competing software. The program authorizes the government to secretly access data of non-US citizens hosted by American companies without a warrant. Microsoft was the first company to participate in the PRISM surveillance program, according to leaked NSA documents obtained by The Guardian and The Washington Post in June 2013, and acknowledged by government officials following the leak. Internal Revenue Service was alleging that the company owed the U.S. $28.9 billion in past taxes, plus penalties related to mis-allocation of corporate profits over a decade.
Google reaches market domination of the global web search engine market with around 90% market share. On October 31, 2024, the Russian government imposed a "symbolic" fine of $20 decillion on Google for blocking pro-Russian YouTube channels. Israel expressed apprehension that the data transferred to the cloud services of these global corporations might be accessible to foreign law enforcement agencies. Google ranked second in corporate lobbying expenditures in 2012 and fifth in 2013. In 2008, Google announced its "project 10100", which accepted ideas for how to help the community and then allowed Google users to vote on their favorites. The mission of the organization is to create awareness about climate change, global public health, and global poverty. Google donates to climate change denial political groups including the State Policy Network and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.