Microsoft celebrates its 40th anniversary
It was on April 4, 1975, that Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft. Gates hadn't even turned 20-years-old at the time, and Allen wasn't much older at 22. Yet what they created changed everything. In reflecting on the past 40 years of Microsoft's existence, Gates talked about the shared goal he and Allen had of seeing a computer on every desk in every home, a rather bold vision for the time. They pretty much accomplished that goal, but it's Microsoft's 50th anniversary that has Gates particularly excited.
"Today though, I am thinking much more about Microsoft's future than its past. I believe computing will evolve faster in the next 10 years than it ever has before," Gates stated in a letter to employees, which ended up on Twitter. "We already live in a multi-platform world, and computing will become even more pervasive. We are nearing the point where computers and robots will be able to see, move, and interact naturally, unlocking many new applications and empowering people even more."
These days Gates is very much involved in philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. However, he still makes time for Microsoft as a technical adviser to Satya Nadella, who stepped in the shoes of CEO after Steve Ballmer's farewell tour. Gates says he's impressed with what he's seeing from the company under Nadella's leadership, things like Cortana, Skype Translator, and HoloLens.
Gates also passed on a philanthropic message to current Microsoft employees, imploring them to think about what they can do to make technology more accessible to everyone, and to make personal computing available everywhere.
"We have accomplished a lot together during our first 40 years an empowered countless businesses and people to realize their full potential. But what matters most now is what we do next," Gates said.
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