CONTENTS

SL NO . Topic Page no.

1 Introduction ______________________________________ 4

2 Important tools of MS office____________________________ 5-7

3 The new AI ‘COPILOT’________________________________ 8

4 Microsoft Bing AI_____________________________________ 9

5 Microsoft WINDOWS__________________________________ 10-11

6 Microsoft Edge Browser_________________________________ 12-13

7 Microsoft success story _________________________________ 14-19

8 Entry into Gaming and Mobile phone Markets________________ 20-21

9 Competition with Google________________________________ 22-23

10 Benefits of MS Office for Student & Professional______________ 24-31

11 Is MS Office Worth it? __________________________________ 32

10 Conclusion___________________________________________ 33

12 Reference____________________________________________ 34
INTRODUCTION
Microsoft was founded by “Bill Gates and Paul Allen” on April 4, 1975, to develop and sell
BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating
system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows.
Microsoft Office is a software which was developed by Microsoft in 1988. This Office suite
comprises various applications which form the core of computer usage in today's world.
Microsoft Office is a suite of applications designed to help with productivity and completing
common tasks on a computer. You can create and edit documents containing text and images,
work with data in spreadsheets and databases, and create presentations and posters.
On this page, we're talking about "Microsoft Office", which is a family of applications used
commonly for office and academic purposes, featuring famous applications like Word, Excel,
and PowerPoint. However, technically, these days "Microsoft Office" doesn't exist, as
Microsoft have changed how you can get these applications and they are part of "Microsoft
365", a broader package of applications that includes cloud-based apps as well. In 2022,
Microsoft got rid of the "Microsoft Office" branding altogether, but you will still see the term
used in many places; on this page, we use it because it is how people generally refer to these
applications still.
Microsoft 365 contains a large range of applications, including online services like OneDrive,
Microsoft Teams and SharePoint as well as the traditional Microsoft Office applications. For
University of York staff and students, you won't have access to all of the features of
Microsoft 365, as the University of York uses Google Workspace for online services like
cloud storage, sharing files, and creating forms and websites. If you're used to the Microsoft
apps, our Google Workspace guide can be helpful for navigating moving to using Google
apps.

They also developed more apps and other sources which helps students and professions very
much and they committed to a practice of responsible Ai by design, guided by a core set of
principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency
and accountability. Microsoft is putting these principles into practice across the company to
develop and deploy AI that will have a positive impact on society.
IMPORTANT TOOLS OF MICROSOFT OFFICE

MS WORD

Probably the most widely used text application in the world today. Everywhere
you see, people are using the Word to create, format, illustrate or edit text for
various purpose. This extremely user friendly tool has multiple applications that
you can use to create text any way you want.

Microsoft Word is one of the very basic tools to use when connecting with people
through computers. Whether you are writing a personal letter, creating content,
connecting with your associates; Word is the application to use.

Advanced users of Word also know how to create and edit tables, insert pictures and edit them, review and
share documents, insert comments, insert page numbers and header and footer and so on. In short, Word
allows you to create and edit any document just the way you want to.

Our Creating Documents guide has in-depth information on how to use the features
of Word as well as Google Docs.

Creating documents: a Practical Guide

A detailed look at setting up, creating and finalizing documents in Word or Google Docs

MS EXCEL

Every commercial establishment uses Microsoft Office Excel in some way or the
other. It is the layman’s best friend to compute data and use formula for basic
calculations. Even without specific accounting software, you can input data and
create sheets for basic accounting purpose with the help of Excel.

The Excel has some really effective options to edit data the way you want. No matter
how simple or complex your data is, you can create a comprehensive report using
various formula provided in Excel.

With Excel, you can not only enter data and calculate them; you can edit; filter or format them the way you
want. The tool has infinite spreadsheets to accommodate extensive data base so that you arrange all your
data in specific individual files.

Excel files can be as large or small as per your need and you can insert additional
sheets if required.

Commonly used spreadsheet software

Essential Spreadsheets

An extensive look at Excel and Google Sheets

PowerPoint
When you want to create the best presentations in the easiest way, Microsoft Office
PowerPoint is the tool to use. You can create just the perfect presentation to impress
your audience without any fancy applications just by using Microsoft PowerPoint.

The Microsoft PowerPoint is indeed a powerful application that allows you to add
drama and highlights to your presentation. You can use the application to enhance
your presentations by adding picture, text and even videos. Your presentations thus become more engaging
and interactive and audience can relate to it better.

Advanced uses of PowerPoint allows you to create master slides as templates,

inserting other Office documents, inserting and editing text boxes, cross-
linking and much more.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Commonly used presenting software

A practical guide to presentations

An extensive look at delivering presentations, with a particular focus on PowerPoint or Google Slides

Microsoft Publisher
The Publisher is a desktop publishing programme that is ideal for creating different
types of publications. With the various tools in the Publisher, you can create fantastic
greeting cards, business cards, newsletters, calendars and so much more.

With basic training in the Publisher, you don’t have to depend on expensive designers
to create your publications. You can do it yourself by using the different menus, frames,
templates that are part of the tool. With these you can insert variety of objects such as
tables, text or graphics into your publications. You can manipulate them the way you
want to create the perfect look you desire.

Microsoft Lync
The Lync is a cloud-based software from the Microsoft Office bouquet that allows
instant online messaging and communication. It allows you to link and share your
presentations, text and data and so on with others using the Lync Online scheduler.

You can collaborate with your colleagues and engage them more meaningfully through the Lync whiteboard,
conduct virtual meetings using audio / video tools and do much more with the Lync.
Microsoft Outlook
The Outlook is one of the best applications to manage and send emails. It allows you to collaborate,
communicate and manage your mails in an efficient manner.

With the Outlook, you can customize your user profile, merge and manage data in mails,
create calendars to schedule your tasks and perform more advanced tasks through your
mails.

Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a tool that allows you to organize, store and share information across different
platforms. You can also create your own website with this tool. The SharePoint allows
you to organize and manage information for effective and efficient dissemination.

Whether your project is small or large, you can collaborate with co-workers anytime,
anywhere with the SharePoint.
A thorough knowledge of SharePoint allows you to create lists, manage calendars,
coordinate libraries and edit documents and much more.

Microsoft OneNote
Having the basic knowledge of Microsoft OneNote allows you to create and synchronize your notes
perfectly. You can easily transfer data, add or delete items, format content, insert objects and apply other
textual effects with the various applications that are part of the OneNote.
It is a highly dynamic Microsoft Office tool that aids in efficient coordination of projects
irrespective of where people are based.

Microsoft Visio
This tool is used to create flow charts, vector graphics and diagrams. It has various chart
building tools that include tools for creating diagrams and other graphics. With the
Vision, you can work on multiple pages; customize them as you want and format them for preparing the
perfect report.

The Visio helps you to create simple or complex flowcharts, diagram networks,
organization charts and many other things that are essential to prepare a comprehensive
report.

The Microsoft Office Project

The Microsoft Project offers several features that are essential for preparing projects
for a particular assignment. It allows for easy sharing of multiple projects between
users with its task tracing facilities and in-built Lync features.

With the Project, you can chart data; create interactive filters; use macros or work
using the VBA Editor.
 THE NEW AI ‘COPILOT’

Humans are hard-wired to dream, to create, to innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us
purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, to care for
the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But today, we spend too
much time consumed by the drudgery of work on tasks that zap our time, creativity and energy.
To reconnect to the soul of our work, we don’t just need a better way of doing the same things.
We need a whole new way to work.
Today, we are bringing the power of next-
generation AI to work. Introducing Microsoft
365 Copilot — your copilot for work. It
combines the power of large language models
(LLMs) with your data in the Microsoft Graph
and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn your
words into the most powerful productivity
tool on the planet.
“Today marks the next major step in the
evolution of how we interact with computing,
which will fundamentally change the way we
work and unlock a new wave of productivity
growth,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and
CEO, Microsoft. “With our new copilot for
work, we’re giving people more agency and
making technology more accessible through
the most universal interface — natural
language.”
Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 in two ways. It works alongside you, embedded in the
Microsoft 365 apps you use every day — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more —
to unleash creativity, unlock productivity and uplevel skills. Today we’re also announcing an
entirely new experience: Business Chat. Business Chat works across the LLM, the Microsoft
365 apps, and your data — your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings and contacts — to
do things you’ve never been able to do before. You can give it natural language prompts like
“Tell my team how we updated the product strategy,” and it will generate a status update based
on the morning’s meetings, emails and chat threads.
 MICROSOFT BING AI

Microsoft Bing, commonly referred to as Bing, is

a search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. The
service traces its roots back to Microsoft's earlier search
engines, including MSN Search, Windows Live Search,
and Live Search. Bing offers a broad spectrum of search
services, encompassing web, video, image, and map
search products, all developed using ASP.NET.

The transition from Live Search to Bing was announced

by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 28, 2009, at
the All Things Digital conference in San Diego,
Main logo and wordmark since October 2020
California. The official release followed on June 3,
2009. Bing introduced several notable features at its
inception, such as search suggestions during query input
and a list of related searches, known as the 'Explore show
pane'. These features leveraged semantic Screenshot
technology from Powerset, a company Microsoft
acquired in 2008. Microsoft also struck a deal
with Yahoo! that led to Bing powering Yahoo! Search. Type of site Search engine

Microsoft made significant strides towards open-source

technology in 2016, making the BitFunnel search engine Available in 40 languages
indexing algorithm and various components of Bing
open source. In February 2023, Microsoft launched
Bing Chat (later renamed Microsoft Copilot),
Owner Microsoft
an artificial intelligence chatbot experience based
on GPT-4, integrated directly into the search engine.
This was well-received, with Bing reaching 100 million
active users by the following month. Created by Microsoft

As of 2023,[needs update] Bing holds the position of the

second-largest search engine worldwide, commanding a Revenue Microsoft Advertising
query volume of 12%, trailing Google's 79%. Other
competitors include Baidu with 5% and Yahoo! Search,
which is largely powered by Bing, with 2%. URL bing.com

Commercial Yes

Registration Optional (Microsoft account)

Launched June 3, 2009; 14 years ago

Current status Active

Written in ASP.NET[1]
 Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows, computer operating system (OS) developed
by Microsoft Corporation to run personal computers (PCs). Featuring
the first graphical user interface (GUI) for IBM-compatible PCs, the
Windows OS soon dominated the PC market.

Microsoft Windows, computer operating system (OS) developed

by Microsoft Corporation to run personal computers (PCs). Featuring the
first graphical user interface (GUI) for IBM-compatible PCs, the Windows OS soon dominated the PC market.
Approximately 90 percent of PCs run some version of Windows.

The first version of Windows, released in 1985, was simply a GUI offered as an extension of Microsoft’s
existing disk operating system, or MS-DOS. Based in part on licensed concepts that Apple Inc. had used for its
Macintosh System Software, Windows for the first time allowed DOS users to visually navigate a virtual
desktop, opening graphical “windows” displaying the contents of electronic folders and files with the click of
a mouse button, rather than typing commands and directory paths at a text prompt.

Computers and Operating Systems

Subsequent versions introduced greater functionality, including native Windows File Manager, Program
Manager, and Print Manager programs, and a more dynamic interface. Microsoft also developed specialized
Windows packages, including the networkable Windows for Workgroups and the high-powered Windows NT,
aimed at businesses. The 1995 consumer release Windows 95 fully integrated Windows and DOS and offered
built-in Internet support, including the World Wide Web browser Internet Explorer.

With the 2001 release of Windows XP, Microsoft united its various Windows packages under a single banner,
offering multiple editions for consumers, businesses, multimedia developers, and others. Windows XP
abandoned the long-used Windows 95 kernel (core software code) for a more powerful code base and offered a
more practical interface and improved application and memory management. The highly successful XP standard
was succeeded in late 2006 by Windows Vista, which experienced a troubled rollout and met with considerable
marketplace resistance, quickly acquiring a reputation for being a large, slow, and resource-consuming system.
Responding to Vista’s disappointing adoption rate, Microsoft in 2009 released Windows 7, an OS whose
interface was similar to that of Vista but was met with enthusiasm for its noticeable speed improvement and its
modest system requirements.

Windows 8 in 2012 offered a start screen with applications appearing as tiles on a grid and the ability to
synchronize settings so users could log on to another Windows 8 machine and use their preferred settings. In
2015 Microsoft released Windows 10, which came with Cortana, a digital personal assistant like Apple’s Siri,
and the Web browser Microsoft Edge, which replaced Internet Explorer. Microsoft also announced that
Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows, meaning that users would receive regular updates to the OS
but that no more large-scale revisions would be done.

The Microsoft campus is the corporate headquarters of Microsoft Corporation, located in Redmond,
Washington, United States, a part of the Seattle metropolitan area. Microsoft initially moved onto the
grounds of the campus on February 26, 1986, shortly before going public on March 13. The headquarters
has undergone multiple expansions since its establishment and is presently estimated to encompass over
8 million square feet (740,000 m2) of office space and have over 50,000 employees.[3]
As of November 2018, the campus holds 83 buildings.[4][5] Additional offices in the Eastside suburbs
of Seattle are located in Bellevue and Issaquah. Building 92 on the campus contains a visitor center (with
interactive exhibits) and store that are open to the public.

History[edit]
Microsoft chose to move its headquarters from Bellevue to nearby Redmond in January 1985, selecting a
29-acre (12 ha) plot of land that would be developed by Wright Runstad & Company.[6] Construction began
on August 9, and Microsoft moved into the $25 million facility on February 26, 1986, several weeks
before the company's initial public offering.[7][8] The move generated some concerns about increased traffic
congestion on the unfinished State Route 520 freeway between Bellevue and Redmond;[9] a new freeway
interchange at Northeast 40th Street would later be built in 2000 to service the campus, after lobbying and
partial funding from Microsoft.[10][11]

The initial campus was situated on a 30-acre (12 ha) lot with six buildings and was able to accommodate
800 employees, growing to 1,400 by 1988.[12] The site was once home to chicken farms in the 1920s that
were ultimately demolished.[13] The campus was originally leased to Microsoft from the Teachers Insurance
and Annuity Association, a pension fund manager, until it was bought back in 1992.[14] The original
buildings were given sequential numbers, with the exception of 7 due to a delay in permitting that became
indefinite.[13] A pond between the original buildings was nicknamed "Lake Bill" for Bill Gates and was
used for post-project celebrations, namely managers being thrown in after a successful launch.[13]

The first major expansion of the campus came in 1992, bringing the total amount of office space to
1.7 million square feet (160,000 m2) across 260 acres (110 ha) of land. Microsoft also announced its
intention to contain most of its future growth within Redmond, while retaining some offices in Downtown
Bellevue and its Factoria district.[15] The Redmond campus was plagued by hundreds of rabbits who spread
around the area in the late 1990s.[16]

In January 2006, Microsoft announced the purchase of Safeco's Redmond campus after the company had
begun consolidating its offices at the Safeco Tower in Seattle's University District a year earlier.[17] The
following month, Microsoft announced that it intended to expand its Redmond campus by 1,100,000
square feet (100,000 m2) at a cost of $1 billion and said that this would create space for between 7,000 and
15,000 new employees over the following three years.[18] The campus expansion also included more
prominent branding and additional recreation areas.[19]
 MICROSOFT EDGE BROWSER

What is Microsoft Edge used for?

Microsoft Edge is the default browser for all Windows 10 devices. It's built to be highly
compatible with the modern web. For some enterprise web apps and a small set of sites
that were built to work with older technologies like ActiveX, you can use Enterprise Mode to
automatically send users to Internet Explorer 11.
Microsoft Edge (or simply Edge) is a proprietary, AI-powered cross-platform web
browser created by Microsoft. Released in 2015 as part of Windows 10 and Xbox One, it was
initially built with Microsoft's own proprietary browser engine, EdgeHTML, and
their Chakra JavaScript engine. Later on, it was ported to Android and iOS[8][9] as a fork
of Google's Chromium open-source project. In late 2018, Microsoft announced it would
completely rebuild Edge as a Chromium-based browser with Blink and V8 engines, which
allowed the browser to be ported to macOS. The new Edge was publicly released in January
2020, and on Xbox platforms in 2021. Microsoft has since terminated security support for
the original browser (now referred to as Microsoft Edge Legacy), and Edge is also available
on older Windows versions (Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later were supported
until early 2023), as well as Linux.
Although it was created as the successor to Internet Explorer (IE), Internet Explorer
11 remained available alongside Edge on Windows 10 for compatibility until 2023, when it
was removed. In Windows 11, Edge is the default web browser, as well as the only browser
available from Microsoft (for compatibility with Google Chrome). However, it includes an
"Internet Explorer mode," aimed at fixing compatibility issues; it provides the
legacy MSHTML browser engine and supports the legacy ActiveX and BHO technologies.
In May 2022, according to StatCounter, Microsoft Edge became the second most popular
browser in the world, overtaking Apple Safari (in some countries, such as the United States,
Edge is the 3rd most popular, where it has a 14% share, slightly behind Safari's 16% share).
As of September 2022, Edge is used by 11% of PCs worldwide.
Features
Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows
11, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, replacing Internet Explorer
11 and Internet Explorer Mobile. As its development and release is dependent on the model
of Windows as a service, it is not included in Windows 10 Enterprise Long-Term Servicing
Channel (LTSC) builds.
Microsoft initially announced that Edge would support the legacy MSHTML (Trident)
browser engine for backward compatibility, but later said that, due to "strong feedback",
Edge would use a new engine, while Internet Explorer would continue to provide the legacy
engine. The developer toolset of the Edge HTML-based versions featured an option to
emulate the rendering behaviour ("document mode") of Internet Explorer versions 5 to 11.
Favorites, reading list, browsing history and downloads are viewed at the
Hub, a sidebar providing functionality similar to Internet Explorer's Downloads manager and
Favorites Center.
Edge features a built-in PDF reader, and supports Web Assembly. Until January 2021, Edge
also featured an integrated Adobe Flash Player (with an internal whitelist allowing Flash
applets on Facebook websites to load automatically, bypassing all other security controls
requiring user activation).
Edge does not support legacy technologies such as ActiveX and Browser Helper Objects,
instead it uses an extension system.
Internet Explorer 11 remained available alongside Edge on Windows 10 for compatibility
until 2023, when it was removed. It remained identical to the Windows 8.1 version and did
not use the Edge engine as was previously announced. In Windows 11, Edge became the
only browser available from Microsoft. However, it includes an "Internet Explorer mode",
aimed at fixing compatibility issues; it provides the legacy MSHTML browser engine and
supports the legacy ActiveX and BHO technologies.
Edge integrates with Microsoft's online platforms to provide voice control, search
functionality, and dynamic information related to searches within the address bar. Users can
make annotations to web pages that can be stored to and shared with OneDrive, and can
save HTML and MHTML pages to their computers. It also integrates with the "Reading List"
function and provides a "Reading Mode" that strips unnecessary formatting from pages to
improve their legibility. Edge also has a new feature called vertical tabs which allow users to
move tabs on the left side of the screen.
Preliminary support for browser extensions was added in March 2016, with build 14291,
three extensions were initially supported. Microsoft indicated that the delay in allowing
extensions and the small number was due to security concerns. As of December 2022, there
are more than 9,000 extensions—called add-ons—available for Edge.
On February 7, 2023, Microsoft announced a major overhaul to Edge, revamping the user
interface with Fluent Design, along with adding a Bing Chat (later known as Microsoft
Copilot) button, which replaces the Discover button.
Microsoft and its story of
unshakable success ! !
Microsoft is a multinational computer technology firm based in Redmond,
Washington, that was founded on April 4, 1975. by Harvard College dropout Bill Gates
and his childhood friend Paul Allen and has since grown to become the world’s largest
software firm. It is also one among the world’s most valuable corporations.
Microsoft is involved in the development, licensing, and maintenance of a variety of
software products and services to meet a variety of needs. Steve Ballmer was named
the new CEO of Microsoft in the year 2000,before he left.Bill Gates met Steve Ballmer
at Harvard University. Despite some reservations about Ballmer’s abilities, Microsoft
maintained its dominance in the corporate and personal computer markets. The
business side of Microsoft provided the company with its key strengths and the
majority of its income. The corporation recognised that as technology progresses and
that they will have a greater presence in consumer markets.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen built Microsoft after the successful Altair deal in January
1975. And in that year , they made $16,000 in revenue. In 1980, Microsoft had its
major break when it struck a collaboration with IBM that resulted in Microsoft
delivering a critical operating system, DOS, for IBM PCs. This meant that Microsoft
received a royalty for every IBM computer sold. With the release of Windows 3.0 in
1990, Gates demonstrated Microsoft’s long-term strategy. At the time, 60 million
copies of Windows had been sold, thus making Microsoft the sole guardian of the PC
software standard.

Many of Microsoft’s prior operating systems were replaced beginning with Vista as
part of Project Longhorn in 2001. Vista was the new operating system that was offered
to the general public in 2007. There were numerous Vista variations available,
including Home (Basic or Premium), Ultimate, Business, and many others. Windows
XP was chosen by Microsoft’s key customers, the business market, since it was quick,
dependable, and secure.

In 2009, Windows 7 was released to replace Vista, ensuring Microsoft’s dominance in

the software business. Following that, in October 2012, Microsoft released Windows
8, which contained significant improvements to its operating system platform and
user interface in order to improve the user experience on tablets. Since then, Windows
8.1 (launched in October 2013) has been introduced, which includes even more
enhancements.
Microsoft also entered the gaming and mobile phone markets, where it was able to
gain a significant market share. HTC, LG, Samsung, and LG are among the companies
that employ the Windows Mobile OS. Microsoft launched the Xbox in 2001, followed
by Xbox Live in 2002. Both titles were huge hits, putting Microsoft in second place in
the video game market. The Xbox 360 was a powerful game machine when it was
debuted in 2005, but it faced stiff competition. Due to competition, Microsoft had to
lower the pricing of their game consoles in
order to win a larger market share. The Xbox 360 became the most popular game
system in American homes as a result of this decision. Microsoft paid $8.5 billion for
Skype in 2011, making it the company’s largest acquisition ever. Skype was purchased
by Microsoft in order to compete with Apple’s Facetime and Google’s Voice..

But during 2011. Microsoft had struggled to synchronize its business with evolving
shifts in software delivery, and had failed to recoup much of the dynamism it had built
during its peak more than 20 years earlier. In the 2000s, the company’s frequent
product failures did little more than confuse customers and cast some doubt on Steve
Ballmer’s leadership. To make matters worse, the startup was up against not one, but
many of Silicon Valley’s largest and most prosperous tech firms. Microsoft needs to
reaffirm its dominance at the top of the chain. After
enduring several failed product launches, Microsoft realized that Google had made
tremendous gains in the productivity software market. To add insult to injury, it had
done so by making its suite of tools available to users completely free—a slap in the
face for a company that had made its vast wealth by selling boxed software. To
invigorate its ailing productivity division and attempt to halt Google’s seemingly
unstoppable rise, Microsoft debuted Office 365 in 2011.Though G suite would go on to
become one of the most successful Microsoft products , it was also a virtual certainty.
Microsoft had made no secret of its desire to shift more systems to
the cloud, and its enterprise workhorse was a natural candidate. However, it was
viewed as another defensive, reactionary move by a firm that had been driven into a
position by the aggressive actions of Google and burgeoning efficiency startups
throughout Silicon Valley. Microsoft made another blunder in 2012 when it paid $1.2
billion for Slack clone Yammer.

At first glance, the Yammer acquisition made sense. Microsoft has long been a
heavyweight in the corporate world, and Yammer’s goal of socialising the office
definitely coincided with Microsoft’s apparent ambition to monetise workplace
communication. However, Microsoft’s acquisition of Yammer was a high-risk bet.
When Microsoft purchased Yammer, the budding social business startup had
approximately 4 million members, but just 20% of those individuals were paid
subscribers. This meant that, without major development, Yammer would not be an
income stream for Microsoft right away.

The corporation unveiled a new logo later that year. It was Microsoft’s first big
rebranding in 25 years. The company’s new, basic identity was a much-needed breath
of fresh air, but the greater shakeup came two years later, in 2014, when Microsoft
selected Satya Nadella as its new CEO. The selection of Nadella as CEO may have
salvaged Microsoft as a company.

Few businesses can afford to make as many mistakes as Microsoft has. Despite this,
despite its flaws, it’s impossible to picture modern computing without the firm formed
by Gates and Allen in 1975. Microsoft’s future may be brighter than it has ever been
under new management, but the corporation must step cautiously if it is to be not just
successful, but relevant, in today’s quickly changing technology scene. Microsoft has a
well-deserved reputation for
being resistant to change, but
under Nadella’s watchful eye,
the firm appears to move
forward with a revitalised sense
of purpose.

Microsoft Corporation
American company
Bill Gates

Recent News
Microsoft Corporation is an
American multinational
technology company that has been a key player in the computer industry since its
founding in 1975. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft initially
gained dominance in the operating systems market during the 1980s and 1990s with
MS-DOS and Windows. Its strong market position eventually gave rise to the
company’s diverse and extensive range of technological offerings, from personal
computing and entertainment to enterprise cloud computing and artificial
intelligence.

Microsoft operates research labs in Cambridge, England (1997); Beijing, China

(1998); Bengaluru, India (2005); Cambridge, Massachusetts (2008); New York, New
York (2012); and Montreal, Canada (2015). Microsoft’s operations can be divided
into three major business segments: productivity and business processes, intelligent
cloud, and more personal computing. Each segment consists of several products and
services.
Productivity and business processes
Microsoft Office Suite includes the mainstay Word, Excel,
and PowerPoint applications, can be further divided into commercial and consumer
categories:

• Office Commercial includes enterprise-level subscriptions and

applications such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365
Security and Compliance.
• Office Consumer includes Microsoft 365 Consumer subscriptions and
various other Office services.
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social media platform with services including
Talent Solutions, Marketing Solutions, Premium Subscriptions, and Sales Solutions.

Microsoft Dynamics is a suite of intelligent and cloud-based applications designed

to assist in various business operations including finance, marketing, sales, supply
chain management, and customer service.
Intelligent cloud
Azure Cloud Services is Microsoft’s flagship cloud computing platform; it offers
hundreds of cloud-based products and services. The second-largest cloud service in
the world, Azure held roughly 23% of global market share for the cloud in 2023,
second only to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.

Other intelligent cloud services include SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio,
System Center, and GitHub.
More personal computing
Windows Operating System has gradually become a cornerstone of Microsoft’s
success since its launch in the 1980s.

Xbox gaming console and various gaming subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass
positioned Microsoft as a formidable player in the gaming industry.

Surface devices are Microsoft’s touchscreen-based hardware, including laptops,

tablets, and interactive whiteboards. Other products in this category include
HoloLens and other PC accessories.
Founding and early growth

IBM Personal Computer

The IBM Personal Computer (PC) was introduced in 1981. Microsoft supplied the machine's
operating system, MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).(more)
In 1975 Bill Gates and Paul G. Allen, two boyhood friends from Seattle,
converted BASIC, a popular mainframe computer programming language, for use on
an early personal computer (PC), the Altair. Shortly afterward, Gates and Allen
founded Microsoft, deriving the name from the words microcomputer and software.
During the next few years, they refined BASIC and developed other programming
languages.

The world runs on DOS. In 1980, International Business Machines

Corporation (IBM) asked Microsoft to produce the essential software, or operating
system, for its first personal computer, the IBM PC. Microsoft purchased an
operating system from another company, modified it, and renamed it MS-
DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System). MS-DOS was released with the IBM PC in
1981. Thereafter, most manufacturers of personal computers licensed MS-DOS as
their operating system, generating vast revenues for Microsoft; by the early 1990s, it
had sold more than 100 million copies of the program and defeated rival operating
systems such as CP/M, which it displaced in the early 1980s, and later IBM OS/2.

The Windows revolution. Microsoft deepened its position in operating systems

with Windows, a graphical user interface whose third version, released in 1990,
gained a wide following. By 1993, Windows 3.0 and its subsequent versions were
selling at a rate of one million copies per month, and nearly 90% of the world’s PCs
ran on a Microsoft operating system. In 1995 the company released Windows 95,
which for the first time fully integrated MS-DOS with Windows and effectively
matched in ease of use Apple Computer’s Mac OS.

Powering the office. Microsoft also became the leader in productivity software
such as word processing and spreadsheet programs, outdistancing longtime rivals
Lotus and WordPerfect in the process.

Entering the media world. Microsoft dramatically expanded its electronic

publishing division, created in 1985 and already notable for the success of its
multimedia encyclopaedia, Encarta. It also entered the information services and
entertainment industries with a wide range of products and services, most notably
the Microsoft Network and MSNBC (a joint venture with the National Broadcasting
Company, a major American television network, which began in 1995 and ended in
2012).
The price of success: Regulatory scrutiny
By the mid-1990s Microsoft, which became a publicly owned corporation in 1986,
had become one of the most powerful brands and profitable companies in American
history. It consistently earned profits of 25 cents on every sales dollar, an astonishing
record. In the company’s 1996 fiscal year, it topped $2 billion in net income for the
first time, and its unbroken string of profits continued, even during the Great
Recession of 2007–09 (its net income had grown to more than $14 billion by fiscal
year 2009).

Its rapid growth in a fiercely competitive and fast-changing industry, however,

spawned resentment and jealousy among rivals, some of whom complained that the
company’s practices violated U.S. laws against unfair competition. Microsoft and its
defenders countered that, far from stifling competition and technical innovation, its
rise had encouraged both and that its software had consistently become less
expensive and more useful. A U.S. Justice Department investigation concluded in
1994 with a settlement in which Microsoft changed some sales practices that the
government contended enabled the company to unfairly discourage OS customers
from trying alternative programs. The following year the Justice Department
successfully challenged Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Intuit Inc., then the leading
maker of financial software for PCs.
Chasing the Internet, and a return of regulatory woes
Partly because of its stunning success in PC software, Microsoft was slow to realize
the commercial possibilities of network systems and the Internet. In 1993 it released
Windows NT, a landmark program that tied disparate PCs together and offered
improved reliability and network security. Sales were initially disappointing, but by
1996 Windows NT was being hailed as the likely standard for PC networking, quickly
surpassing Novell’s NetWare in market share.

Microsoft did not move into Internet software until a new venture, Netscape
Communications Corp., had introduced Navigator, a Web browser program that
simplified the once-arcane process of navigating the World Wide Web. In a violent
change of course, Microsoft quickly developed its own browser, Internet Explorer,
made it free, and moved aggressively to persuade computer makers and Internet
service providers to distribute it exclusively. By 1996 Microsoft was bundling
Explorer with Windows OS and had begun the process of integrating Explorer
directly into Windows. In response, Netscape accused Microsoft of violating its 1995
consent decree and sued; those efforts helped to persuade the Justice Department to
reopen a broad investigation of Microsoft.

In 1999, following a trial that lasted 30 months, a judge found Microsoft in violation
of the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) and ordered the breakup of the company. In
2001 an appeals court overturned the breakup order but still found the company
guilty of illegally trying to maintain a monopoly. The company’s legal woes continued
in 2004: The European Union (EU) levied the largest fine in the organization’s
history to that point, €497.2 million ($611 million), in retaliation for what were
described as Microsoft’s near-monopoly practices. In February 2008 the EU imposed
an even higher fine, €899 million ($1.35 billion), on the company for having defied
the EU’s 2004 antitrust decision against Microsoft for illegally bundling multimedia
software with its Windows operating system to the exclusion of competitors.
Entry into the gaming and mobile phone markets

Xbox 360 at the Tokyo Game Show

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox 360 video game
machine, shown here mounted in large demonstration
units, drawing visitors at the Tokyo Game Show in
2005.(more)

In 2001 Microsoft released the Xbox,

an electronic game console that quickly
captured second place in the video gaming
market. In 2002 it launched Xbox Live, a
broadband gaming network for its consoles. A
more powerful gaming console, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005. In an intensely
competitive market, where the Xbox faced strong pressure from the Nintendo
Wii and Sony PlayStation, Microsoft struggled through the years to make consistent
profits from its console. For example, in 2009 the company cut the price of the Xbox
360 Elite by as much as 25% in order to pick up market share. The move was
successful; by 2010 the Xbox 360 was the most-used game console in the American
home. But at the same time, the price cuts also led to a 6% drop in revenue in
Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division (EDD). The Xbox 360 was
succeeded in 2013 by the Xbox One, which in turn was replaced by Xbox Series X and
Xbox Series S in 2020.

Other EDD products also struggled. The Zune family of portable media players
introduced in 2006 failed to challenge the market dominance of Apple’s iPod, and it
was discontinued in 2011. The Windows Mobile OS, used in smartphones made by a
variety of vendors, including HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung, trailed in market
share in the United States behind Research in Motion’s BlackBerry and
Apple’s iPhone. In 2009 Microsoft ceased publishing online and disc versions of
its Encarta encyclopaedia.
Windows evolution: XP, Vista, and Windows 7 (and 8, 9, 10, and
11)
Microsoft began planning a major replacement for all of its operating systems in
2001. The project, code-named Longhorn, encountered numerous delays, in part
because of efforts to address the public’s growing concern with computer
security and consumers’ desire for PCs to have greater integration with a full range of
entertainment equipment within the modern electronic home.

The company started over, and the new operating system, renamed Vista, was
released to other software developers late in 2006 and to the general public in 2007.
Like most new operating systems, Vista met with initial problems involving
incompatibilities with older computer peripherals. More problematic for the new
operating system was its “bloated” structure, which required a very
fast microprocessor and large amounts of dedicated computer memory for proper
functioning. Its high threshold for adequate system resources deterred many
companies and individuals from upgrading systems from earlier, and perfectly
serviceable, systems such as Windows XP (derived from the term Windows
Experience). In addition, consumers were baffled by the numerous Vista options—
Home (Basic or Premium), Ultimate, Business, and others—while business users
(Microsoft’s core market) balked at its major change to the user interface and were
unwilling to port their internal applications to the new system.
Microsoft’s corporate users had other reasons to stick with Windows XP. Though still
problematic compared with other operating systems, XP was significantly more
secure than its predecessors. XP was also faster and much more stable than Windows
95 or 98, and it ran tens of thousands of software programs written specifically for it,
which made business users reluctant to switch operating systems. It can be argued
that customer satisfaction with XP is what killed Vista among business
users. PC makers, who were contractually required by Microsoft to ship products
with Vista, were compelled to offer “downgrades” from Vista to XP, and user
appreciation even compelled Microsoft to extend its official support of the older OS
through 2014, three years beyond its normal support policies.

Adding to Microsoft’s OS problems was increased competition in the marketplace.

Apple’s Mac OS X, riding on the huge success of the iPhone and iPod consumer
products, grew in popularity. Linux, long an operating system for the technically
adept, began to appear in more user-friendly versions, such as Ubuntu, and by the
end of the first decade of the 21st century, Linux had captured one-third of the
growing low-cost netbook market. Yet, despite its problems in the marketplace,
Microsoft remained the dominant supplier of operating systems. Windows held a
worldwide market share of 86% to 92%, depending on the research analysis.

With the release in 2009 of Windows 7, the replacement for Vista, to critical praise
by reviewers and analysts, Microsoft’s lead remained intact. In 2012 the company
released Windows 8, which offered a start screen with applications appearing as tiles
on a grid. Windows 10, released in 2015, featured Cortana, a digital personal
assistant capable of responding to voice commands (as did the iPhone’s Siri), and a
new Web browser, Microsoft Edge, which replaced Internet Explorer.
Competition with Google
Microsoft’s continued OS dominance and its quick recovery in the “browser wars”
did not repeat itself in the search-engine market, where Microsoft’s search engine,
Live Search, trailed well behind those of Google Inc., the new industry giant,
and Yahoo! Inc., the durable Internet portal site. Microsoft hoped to change the
market dynamics with the release in 2009 of Bing, a “decision engine” designed to
display more retrieved information in search pages than was typical, thus enabling
better-informed decisions concerning what links to follow or, in some cases,
displaying enough information to satisfy the original query.

In 2008 Microsoft had offered to buy Yahoo! for $44.6 billion, but this proposal was
rejected by Yahoo! However, negotiations between the companies continued, and in
2009 an agreement was reached in which Yahoo! would use Bing for its website and
would handle premium advertisements for Microsoft’s website. The deal was
continued with some modifications (giving more flexibility to Yahoo!) in 2015.
Microsoft followed up the agreement with Yahoo! by licensing search content from
Wolfram Research, makers of the Mathematica-powered WolframAlpha scientific
search engine.

On another front in its competition with Google, Microsoft moved into cloud
computing, where application software and data storage are provided by centralized
Internet services and are simply accessed by users through their local PCs.
Microsoft’s first move was with its Windows Azure (since 2014, Microsoft Azure)
platform, announced in 2008 and launched in 2010. Azure lets service providers or
businesses build computing infrastructure in the “cloud” and then offer the
infrastructure as services to users. In 2011 Microsoft released Office 365, a cloud
version of its highly profitable Office business software suite
(comprising Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote) that included services
and features similar to those of Google Docs.

In 2011 Microsoft bought the Internet voice communication company Skype for $8.5
billion, which at that time was the largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history.
Microsoft added Skype to Xbox, Outlook, and Windows smartphones. The Skype
acquisition placed Microsoft in competition with Apple’s video-chat
service FaceTime and Google’s Internet communication service Voice. In 2016
Microsoft made an even larger acquisition with its $26.2 billion purchase of the
career-focused social networking company LinkedIn.
Microsoft after Bill Gates
Satya Nadella
In 2000 company cofounder Gates relinquished his role as CEO of Microsoft to Steve
Ballmer, whom Gates had met during his brief tenure at Harvard University in the
1970s. He handed over the title of chief software architect in 2006 to Ray Ozzie, a
chief developer of the computer networking package Lotus Notes in the 1990s. In
2008 Gates left the day-to-day running of the company to Ballmer, Ozzie, and other
managers, though he remained as chairman of the board. Ozzie stepped down in
2010, and longtime Microsoft executive Satya Nadella replaced Ballmer as CEO in
2014.

There was some concern (and some hopefulness) among industry observers that the
departure of Gates would hamper Microsoft’s preeminent position in the computer
industry. That situation did not materialize. The company retained its top spot in
both business and consumer segments, including operating systems, productivity
software, and online gaming services.

In 2012 it introduced Surface, a line of hybrid tablet computers with hardware

designed by Microsoft itself, a first for the company. It also had competitive products
in almost all areas of business information technology and applications. Microsoft’s
core strengths and most of its profits were to be found on its business side, where it
set global standards with its products.

Nevertheless, Microsoft’s management understood that the company also had to

have a major, even if not a dominant, presence in consumer markets as
improvements in information technology continued to blur the line between personal
computing and business computing.
The Nadella Years: Cloud innovation and the AI
revolution
When Satya Nadella took the helm as Microsoft’s CEO in 2014, the
company’s market capitalization stood at approximately $300 billion. By 2024, the
company’s market cap had increased to more than $3 trillion. Although there are
many internal and external factors that can drive a company’s share price, leadership
(and its perception in the market) plays a crucial role in shaping a company’s
success, particularly on Wall Street.

Nadella has been largely credited for Microsoft’s major advances in its Azure cloud
computing division, increasing cloud revenue tenfold since beginning his tenure as
CEO. The cloud generated 5% of Microsoft’s revenue in 2014; that percentage grew to
more than 50% in the fiscal year fourth quarter of 2023.

Microsoft continued to expand and enhance its product and service portfolio from
2014 to the early 2020s, but the company’s investment in artificial intelligence is one
of the more notable developments in the company’s trajectory. Microsoft’s $1 billion
investment in OpenAI in 2019 marked the beginning of a strategic partnership with
an institution that, in just a few years, would reshape the entire technological
landscape upon its 2023 release of ChatGPT, the first publicly accessible (and, as of
2024, the most successful) conversational AI chatbot.

In earnings conference calls during 2023 and beyond, Nadella confirmed Microsoft’s
commitment to infusing AI technology into every layer of the “tech stack” across all
three business segments, with the expectation that AI could reshape the future of
commercial and consumer technology applications.

Microsoft’s journey since the 1980s from operating system dominance to cloud
computing and (in the 2020s) artificial intelligence showcases a strategic evolution
characterized by a capacity to adapt to new technologies while allowing its long-
running product lines to evolve and adapt.
Benefits of Microsoft Office for
Students and Professionals
Rick Akura

In the digital era we live in, being proficient in Microsoft Office is a must for students and
professionals alike. This software suite includes a plethora of tools that can simplify tasks,
improve collaboration, and create top-notch documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.

Whether you're a student or a professional, you know the importance of using an efficient
office suite for productivity and teamwork. Microsoft Office is one of the most popular
software applications in both domains, and mastering its various features can boost your
academic or career endeavors. In this blog post, we'll explore the advantages of using
Microsoft Office for students and professionals,
ranging from increased efficiency to better
communication with colleagues.

This article will uncover how Microsoft Office

can aid students and professionals in achieving
their objectives. Keep reading to find out how incorporating this powerful office suite into
your daily workflow can open up endless opportunities!

Microsoft Office Benefits for Students

If you're a student, chances are you've used Microsoft Office at some point to complete a
school assignment.
Whether it was creating a Word document, using Excel to organize data, or putting together a
PowerPoint presentation, Microsoft Office is an incredibly powerful tool that can help you
get your work done more efficiently.
1. Creating Professional-Looking Documents

One of the benefits of using Microsoft Office as a student is that you can create professional-
looking documents for your assignments. With Word, you can easily format your document
to make it look neat and tidy.

You can also insert images, charts, and other graphics to make your document more visually
appealing. If you need to create a cover page or table of contents, Word can do that for you as
well.

Microsoft Word brings the following benefits for students looking to improve their
documents:

• Writing Assistance: Microsoft Word provides a spelling and grammar checker,

which helps students to catch common writing errors and an editor that suggests
improvements to writing style, clarity, and conciseness. Additionally, students can
utilize the thesaurus and translation features to enhance their writing.

• Research Tools: Microsoft Word allows students to insert and manage citations,
footnotes, and bibliographies, which helps them to properly reference sources and
avoid plagiarism.

• Formatting Options: Microsoft Word offers a variety of formatting options that help
students to create professional-looking documents, including headings, fonts, styles,
and themes.

• Accessibility Features: Microsoft Word includes features that make documents more
accessible, such as the ability to add alt text to images, create accessible tables, and
use built-in templates for accessible documents.

• Collaboration and Sharing: With the ability to share and collaborate on documents
in real-time, Microsoft Word makes it easier for students to work on group projects,
share notes, and discuss ideas with their classmates.
2. Organizing and Analyzing Data in Excel

Another benefit of Microsoft Office for students is the ability to organize and analyze data in
Excel. If you need to track your grades or calculate GPA, Excel is the perfect tool for the job.
You can also use Excel to organize other data sets, such as research data for a paper or
information about potential colleges.
And if you need to analyze that data, Excel can do that too with its built-in formulas and
graphing capabilities.
Here are five amazing benefits that Microsoft Excel brings to students:

• Data Analysis: Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for analyzing data, making it
particularly useful for students studying in fields such as mathematics, statistics, and
economics.

• Organizing Information: Excel's spreadsheet format is ideal for organizing large

amounts of information, such as class schedules, assignments, and grades.

• Graphing and Charting: Excel's charting and graphing tools allow students to
visualize and communicate data more effectively, which is useful for presenting
research findings and analyzing trends.

• Financial Planning: Excel's ability to perform complex financial calculations makes

it a valuable tool for students studying finance, accounting, or business.

• Collaboration and Sharing: With the ability to share and collaborate on spreadsheets
in real time, Microsoft Excel makes it easier for students to work on group projects,
analyze data together, and track progress on assignments.

3. Creating Engaging Presentations

PowerPoint is another useful tool in Microsoft Office for students who need to create
presentations for their classes.
With PowerPoint, you can easily add images, videos, and animations to your presentation to
make it more engaging. You can also create custom slide layouts and use built-in templates to
save time when putting your presentation together.
These benefits are provided to all students who use PowerPoint:
• Presentation Capabilities: With PowerPoint, students can create visually appealing
and interactive presentations that help them to engage their audience and communicate
their ideas more effectively.

• Multimedia Integration: PowerPoint allows students to add multimedia elements

such as images, audio, and video, which can help to enhance their presentations and
make them more engaging.

• Organization and Structure: PowerPoint's slide format helps students to organize

their presentation into clear and concise sections, making it easier for their audience to
follow along.

• Collaboration and Sharing: With the ability to share and collaborate on

presentations in real time, Microsoft PowerPoint makes it easier for students to work
on group projects, share notes, and discuss ideas with their classmates.

• Practice and Feedback: PowerPoint's presenter view allows students to practice their
presentation and receive feedback on timing and content, which can help to improve
their public speaking skills.

4. Collaborating with Classmates and

Teachers
Finally, Microsoft Office also includes tools that allow students to collaborate with
classmates and teachers on shared documents. OneDrive is a cloud storage service that comes
with every Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
With OneDrive, you can upload documents so that others can view or edit them from
anywhere with an internet connection. This is especially useful when working on group
projects where not everyone can meet in person to work on the project together.

Here are some benefits of using the Microsoft 365 subscription:

Access to Microsoft Office Suite: A Microsoft 365 subscription provides students with
access to the latest versions of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, which can be used for a variety of academic tasks.
• Cloud Storage: With OneDrive, students can save and access their files from
anywhere, on any device, which can be particularly useful for group projects or
studying on the go.
 • Collaboration and Sharing: Microsoft 365 provides students with the ability to share
and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time, making it
easier for them to work on group projects and discuss ideas with their classmates.

• Online Learning Resources: Microsoft 365 provides students with access to a

variety of online learning resources, including templates, tutorials, and training
materials, which can help them to develop new skills and enhance their academic
performance.

• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Microsoft 365 offers a variety of accessibility features,

such as dictation and text-to-speech, that can help students with disabilities to access
and use the software effectively.

Microsoft Office Benefits for Professionals

Microsoft Office is a powerful suite of tools that can help professionals stay organized,
collaborate with colleagues, and create professional documents.

From creating reports and proposals to analyzing data in Excel to managing email and
scheduling in Outlook, Microsoft Office has something for every professional.

Let's look at some key benefits of using this powerful suite.

1. Creating Professional Documents in Word

Microsoft Office contains numerous programs that can be used to create professional-grade
documents such as reports, proposals, and contracts. Word is an excellent choice for this type
of task as it allows users to format text easily and add images, tables, charts, and other
graphics.
The built-in templates make it easy to get started quickly—all you have to do is add your
own content. For complex documents with multiple components or versions, Word also
offers version control options so you can keep track of all the changes made over time.

• Document Creation and Formatting: Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for creating
and formatting professional documents, such as reports, proposals, and business
correspondence, with a variety of formatting options, including fonts, colors, and
styles, to ensure a consistent and polished look.
 • Collaboration and Sharing: With the ability to share and collaborate on documents
in real-time, Microsoft Word makes it easier for professionals to work on documents
with colleagues, edit and review each other's work, and track changes to ensure
accuracy and completeness.

• Automation and Integration: Microsoft Word offers a range of automation and

integration options, including mail merge, macros, and add-ins, which can help
professionals to streamline their workflow, reduce repetitive tasks, and improve
efficiency.

2. Analyzing and Visualizing Data in Excel

For professionals who need to analyze data or create charts and graphs, Excel is an
invaluable tool. Its intuitive user interface makes it easy to enter data into cells and
manipulate it into meaningful information that can be used for analysis or presented in
graphical form.

With Excel’s advanced features such as PivotTables and VBA scripting language, you can
quickly summarize large amounts of data into simple visualizations that allow you to gain
insight into trends or patterns in the data.

• Data Management and Analysis: Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for managing
and analyzing large amounts of data, with functions for sorting, filtering, and
visualizing data to gain insights and make informed decisions.

• Automation and Integration: Microsoft Excel offers a range of automation and

integration options, such as macros and add-ins, which can help professionals to
streamline their workflow, reduce repetitive tasks, and improve efficiency.

• Financial Modeling and Forecasting: Microsoft Excel is widely used by finance and
accounting professionals for financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting, with
functions for calculating complex financial metrics, such as net present value, internal
rate of return, and payback period.
3. Leaving an Impact on Your Audience With
PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a valuable tool for professionals seeking to communicate their ideas effectively
and make a lasting impression on their audience. It’s widely used across a range of industries
to create presentations for meetings, conferences, and training sessions.
Its versatile tools for designing and organizing information, as well as its ability to
incorporate multimedia elements, make it an ideal platform for delivering impactful and
engaging presentations.

• Presentation Creation and Design: Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful tool for

creating and designing professional presentations, with a variety of themes, templates,
and design options to ensure a consistent and visually appealing look.

• Multimedia Integration: With the ability to incorporate multimedia elements, such

as images, videos, and audio, Microsoft PowerPoint makes it easier for professionals
to create engaging and interactive presentations that captivate their audience.

• Collaboration and Sharing: Microsoft PowerPoint offers collaboration and sharing

features, such as real-time co-authoring and version control, that allow professionals
to work on presentations with colleagues, share feedback, and ensure that the final
product meets their expectations.

4. Managing Email & Scheduling With

Outlook
Outlook is great for managing both your personal inboxes, like Gmail or AOL, as well as
business emails.
With Outlook, you can easily organize emails into folders or tags, filter out unwanted
messages from your inbox with rules, search through your emails quickly with its powerful
search engine, schedule meetings with colleagues or clients with its calendar feature, set
reminders for important tasks or events so nothing slips through the cracks, and more!

• Email Management: Microsoft Outlook is a powerful tool for managing emails, with
functions for organizing, prioritizing, and categorizing emails, as well as features for
scheduling emails to be sent later and setting reminders.
 • Calendar Management: With a built-in calendar feature, Microsoft Outlook makes it
easy for professionals to manage their schedule, set reminders for important events,
and schedule meetings with colleagues.

• Integration with Other Tools: Microsoft Outlook integrates seamlessly with other
Microsoft Office tools, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as with other
third-party tools, such as Dropbox and OneDrive, making it easier for professionals to
manage their work and collaborate with colleagues.

5. Stay Connected Using Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a communication platform that enables professionals to work together in
real-time, regardless of their location.
With features for chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and collaboration on documents,
Microsoft Teams makes it easier for teams to communicate and collaborate on projects, while
also allowing for a more flexible and remote work environment.

Its integration with other Microsoft Office tools also ensures seamless collaboration across
different applications, making it an ideal platform for professionals seeking to work more
efficiently and effectively.

• Real-Time Collaboration: Microsoft Teams enables real-time collaboration between

professionals, regardless of their location, through features such as instant messaging,
audio and video calls, and screen sharing, making it easier to work together and share
ideas.

• Integration with Other Tools: Microsoft Teams integrates with other Microsoft
Office tools, such as Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint, as well as with third-party
tools, making it easier for professionals to access and collaborate on documents and
files across different applications.

• Project Management: Microsoft Teams offers project management features, such as

task lists, calendars, and progress tracking, making it easier for professionals to
manage projects and stay on top of deadlines. It also allows for the creation of
channels and teams to facilitate communication and collaboration specific to certain
projects or departments.
 Is Microsoft Office Worth It?

Microsoft Office is definitely worth the investment for anyone looking to enhance their
productivity and streamline their work.

Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity tools that includes essential programs like Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, among others. With these tools, users can create
professional-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, manage their emails, and
stay organized with calendars and to-do lists.

One of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Office is its wide range of features and
functionalities. It offers a comprehensive set of tools that can help users work more
efficiently and effectively, whether they're students, professionals, or individuals looking to
enhance their productivity.

In addition to its many features, Microsoft Office is designed to work seamlessly with other
Microsoft products, such as Teams and SharePoint. This makes it easy for users to
collaborate with others and share documents and information quickly and easily.

While Microsoft Office can be a bit pricey, there are ways to save money on it. For
example, purchasing it from SoftwareKeep is a great way to get the best possible price on this
powerful suite of tools.