For Microsoft, 1986 brings a slice of royalty as Prince Charles of Great Britain pays a visit to the Microsoft Showroom at the Infomart in Dallas. The company moves to a new Corporate Campus and $MSFT stock goes public at $21 per share.
For Microsoft, 1987 brings the announcement of Excel for Windows, the company ships their first CD-ROM application, and MSFT announces the New Mouse (which is nicknamed the "Dove Soap Bar").
For Microsoft, 1988 announces "Microsoft OnLine" which is a two-way electronic support service, offering a complete package of technical support and service solutions. Microsoft Mouse sales top the one million mark (less than one year after hitting the ½ million mark), and the "Making It All Make Sense" advertising campaign is launched.
For Microsoft, 1989 brings the availability of Office for the Macintosh and Steve Ballmer is promoted to Senior Vice President; the company also announces the availability of Microsoft Flash File System which is a file system for Intel's flash memory technology.
For Microsoft, 1990 is about communication as they announce the integration of voice messaging capabilities into Microsoft Mail for AppleTalk Networks. WinMail, a Windows version 3.0-based mail front end is available for internal use and Russian MS-DOS 4.01 is the first Microsoft product localized for the Soviet market.
For Microsoft, 1991 brings a new toll-free Piracy Hotline Number for consumer reports or inquires about pirated Microsoft® products: 1-800-NOCOPYN. The company announces the BallPoint Mouse (designed especially for use with laptop computers), and sales of software applications written for Windows 3.0 skyrocket.
For Microsoft, 1992 is about partnership. Intel and Microsoft introduce a new specification (in beta form) called DV MCI (the digital video command set of MCI) that expands the Media Control Interface (MCI) for the Microsoft® Windows® graphical environment to work with current and future forms of digital video. The company announces the Microsoft Certified Professional Program which is a rigorous series of online exams covering Windows 3.1, LAN Manager, and SQL Server. Also, in response to an inflammatory newspaper article in the New York Post, Microsoft announces that there are no hidden messages contained in any of the Wingdings fonts in the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, and certainly no hate messages against any religious or ethnic group.
For Microsoft, 1993 is a stellar year as they introduce Microsoft Encarta which is the first multimedia encyclopedia designed for a computer. The Microsoft BallPoint Mouse is launched into Space, and Microsoft reports that the number of licensed users of Microsoft Windows now totals more than 25 million (making it the most popular graphical operating system in the world).
For Microsoft, 1994 was an ambitious year as the company introduces the architecture for its new software solution (code-named "Tiger") for delivering continuous media including audio and video. Microsoft signs a definitive agreement to acquire Softimage, Inc. of Montreal, Quebec which is a leading developer of high-performance 2-D and 3-D computer animation; also, Microsoft Plus, a support program designed to increase users' satisfaction with Microsoft and its products, is announced.
For Microsoft, 1995 was filled with Windows. On January 7, 1995, during his first keynote at the consumer electronics show in Vegas, Bill Gates announces Microsoft "Bob" for Windows. Microsoft and Dreamworks SKG announce that they have signed a joint-venture agreement to form a new software company and the company announces internet explorer 1.0 for Windows 95.
For Microsoft, the 1995 fiscal year-end sales total $5,940,000,000, and the 1995 fiscal Year employee headcount totals 17,801 people.
For Microsoft, 1996 is all about partnerships. The Interactive Media Division is created consisting of MSN, the MSN online service games & kids' titles, and the information businesses formerly residing in the now-dissolved Consumer Division. Also, the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.0 for Windows 95 is available in 22 languages, bringing Microsoft's Web browser to the largest international audience of any Internet client software, and Microsoft and America Online (AOL) form a partnership.
For Microsoft, 1997 is filled with big moves as the Company announces the immediate availability of Office 97. MSFT also signs an agreement to acquire WebTV Networks for approximately $425 million in stock and cash, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 is released to critical acclaim and enormous customer demand.
For Microsoft, 1998 means a changing of the guard as Bill Gates appoints Steve Ballmer president of the company. Microsoft Corporation's Board of Directors approves a 2-for-1 split of its common shares, and The U.S. Justice Department and 20 state attorneys general file an antitrust suit against the software giant, charging the company with abusing its market power to thwart competition.
For Microsoft, 1999 is the end of the decade but just the beginning of more growth. Microsoft is one of the first software companies to create its own computer science research organization called MSR. Internet Explorer 5.0 is introduced by Bill Gates at a launch event on the Microsoft campus in Redmond. Also, MSN Mobile the newest addition to the MSN(TM) network of Internet services becomes available.
