Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Introduction

Software companies have been on the rise since the mid-20th century. Basic software development was initiated after the introduction of computerization. The main element that participated in the growth of computerization was software. Software made computerization valid because it assisted with the creation of a working platform that served for the development. Afterward, innovations in the software industry have been conducted, whereby significant discoveries have been made, which made the software bit of computerization more efficient. However, some development companies have made big strides toward the development of their software. Among the largest such companies is the Microsoft Corporation (MacCormack & Iansiti, 2009). Microsoft Corporation has been at the forefront to ensure that computer software is efficient and simple on the basic users’ level. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the Microsoft Corporation and the methodology that will be applied to studying how the company undertakes its software development activities.

Microsoft Corporation is an international company based in Redmond, Washington, USA. Its main task is concerned with the development of computer software and additional computer services. The firm specifically develops, manufactures, licenses, and sells computer software and electronics goods (Pemble, 2001). Therefore, the company participates in the software and hardware industries. The company has also extended its services to game control devices, whereby it has produced such products as the Xbox. The company has established itself as the largest software producer in terms of revenue, which largely comes from the production of personal computers’ operating systems (OS). Concerning the sphere of OS development, the company has diversified the production of OS-friendly programs that enable users to use their computers with maximum ease. The company has developed the Microsoft Office suite and Internet Explorer, among many other programs, to ensure that their operating systems have all the needed compatible programs for the comfort of the user. Therefore, the introduction of the company into the software market has revolutionized the technological field of software development.

Microsoft Corporation was pioneered by the team that Bill Gates and Paul Allen created. It was founded in 1975. Initially, the company was to develop and sell basic interpreters for Altair 8800. It grew steadily and began to dominate the sphere of personal computers’ operating systems. It began with MS-DOS in the 1980s after the development of Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows was a crucial development, which allowed computerization to reach its current state (MacCormack & Iansiti, 2009). The innovation of Microsoft Windows fully introduced the company into the software market, whereby it engaged in the initial public offering (IPO) in 1986. The company’s IPO saw a drastic rise in the share price, which created 3 billionaires and 12000 millionaires, who were the employees of Microsoft. The company has maintained the same trend in stock prices even until today. The graph below illustrates the progress of Microsoft’s share prices concerning Google.

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The company has been diversifying its products and software development since the 1990s until now. For instance, recently, in 2011, the company acquired Skype Technologies for $8.5 billion, which turned out to be the largest acquisition of the corporation. The company has introduced new program features in the design of Skype to improve its usability. Therefore, the company has been constantly striving to satisfy its market.

Methodologies

The company has experienced success due to the teamwork and cooperation among its workers. The senior employees of the company find it convenient to include all the employees, irrespective of their managerial level, in the software development process ('An Interview with Robert McDowell, Vice President for Information Worker Business Value Microsoft Corporation', 2007). This teamwork cultivated by the company’s leaders has helped to maintain the software development platforms abreast. Teamwork has enabled the company to thrive regardless of the technological challenges. For instance, the company has incorporated all its workers into the development of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

The company has also structured its activities based on various departments. Such a structure has created an efficient working platform for the company. Structuring breaks down an organization’s complex system into more simplified bits. Therefore, Microsoft Corporation has been restructured to simplify the procedural undertakings and daily activities. The departmental structure has created the division of software development into small sections that are capable of making significant developments (Anandan & Blake, 2004). The company has been segmented into the gaming departments, operating system development departments, and system maintenance departments. This segmentation has contributed to the significant success of the firm in all fields of software development.

Training has been a core success method applied by the company. The training has always been based on the special platform, whereby the employees are trained about the technology of the company. Training is also extended to the software development departments. Training has intensified the innovations of the company, whereby the trained workers have the potential to carry out the software development effectively. In addition, training helps the company’s employees remain updated on other departments' trends. Therefore, well-trained employees can contribute to the development of any department of the corporation.

The corporation has applied a database system as the main methodology used for the company’s growth. Database stores all the information that is crucial for a company. Therefore, the control of this database has acted as a crucial component of the company’s success (Adams & Whitlock, 2004). In any company, database administration is a major course of action in the computing field of product development. Therefore, if a company places more emphasis on the management of its database systems, the probability of the company flourishing in the market will be high.

Database management is a key development methodology that has been used for a long time in the Microsoft Corporation. Database management of the company’s activities has simplified organization in the company ('An Interview with Robert McDowell, Vice President for Information Worker Business Value Microsoft Corporation', 2007). The use of the database in Microsoft has improved the technological level of the company, whereby it applies a system administrator to run the database. The administrator, who is a virtual person, runs a large volume of data in the system by quickly processing it and providing output. Therefore, an employee spends less time managing the data in the company and spends more time coming up with software development ideas. Therefore, the database is an efficient method of creating effective innovations for the company.

Database in Microsoft Corporation has been a crucial method included in action research. The database has enabled action research in the company through the creation of hypothetical commitments and the presentation of a favorable platform to take care of the present and future issues in the company (Adams & Whitlock, 2004). Therefore, a sufficient data framework is needed for action research, which is present in Microsoft’s database. Although action research is dependent on the company’s database, it is a suitable methodology for database administration. The suitability of this methodology is enhanced by the fact that action research is a daily activity for Microsoft Corporation, thereby creating a day-to-day basis for data administration. Therefore, the database methodology fits the growth model of the company well.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Microsoft Corporation has had a tough start, which initially did not allow it to grow to its full potential. The introduction of the company into the stock market was a significant step in the company’s development because it enabled the company to make important steps toward software development. Database administration has been a crucial methodology for the growth of the company. Indeed, proper database administration has led the company to its current success in the software industry.

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