Microsoft (US)

Microsoft effectively defined the nature of modern computer communications. Bill Gates and his colleagues didn't invent computers, the graphical interface or internet browsing. But they came to dominate most users' experience of all three. As a result, for several years, Microsoft was the world's most valuable corporation, with a market capitalisation bigger than other businesses five times its size. However, it was also the industry's most hated entity, juggling a string a lawsuits from smaller rivals it had elbowed into oblivion. More recently, though, peace has broken out at Microsoft, and the company has worked hard to rebuild bridges, using part of its huge cash stockpile to settle legal rows with rivals and forge strategic alliances. In the mean time, its role as the big bad giant of the industry was to some extent inherited by Google. Microsoft has attempted to keep pace with its new arch-rival through acquisitions including internet advertising giant aQuantive and a strategic investment in Facebook, as well as a substantial but unsuccessful bid to acquire Yahoo. But even after all the cash it has thrown at this part of the business, Microsoft still lags well behind the all-powerful Google in internet search and advertising sales. Advertising Age estimated global measured advertising expenditure of $628m in 2007, making Microsoft the world's #55 advertiser.

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Microsoft website

Microsoft Windows	Advertiser & Publisher Solutions (aQuantive)
Microsoft Office	MSN.com
Microsoft Entertainment & Devices (Xbox, Zune)	Zone.com
Microsoft Enterprise Servers	Microsoft Developer Network
MSNBC	Microsoft Dynamics
SQL Server	Multimap
Windows Live	Visual Studio

Microsoft Worldwide

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