Microsoft

Despite the ever-increasing sales of Macs, "Microsoft" is still the undisputed leader in the computer industry. This popularity led to the fact that everything is already known and described many times, company history, products, ex-president Bill Gates. But for those who want to know more, we dug a little-known facts.

The first mention of «Micro-soft»
For the first time the company name was used by Bill Gates in 1975, in a letter co-founder Paul Allen. However, Gates wrote «Micro-soft», which was quite logical, because the name was made up of the words «microcomputer» and «software».
Soon after the hyphen was abolished and in 1976 in New Mexico, where based MITS - main client Gates and Allen in the period officially registered by Microsoft. Only in 1986 the company moved its head office in Redmond, Washington, where he remains to this day.

The logo has been changed several times, its current version was developed in 1987. The picture shows the preceding her blibbet - the letter "O" in stripes, in honor of which even called burger was served in the cafeteria "Microsoft».

Brian Eno has created a jingle for "Microsoft»
Proprietary sound theme for Windows 95 came up with composer Brian Eno.
The musician, who has worked with stars such as David Bowie and U2, once said the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle, that writing such a short piece of music was "funny" and "amazing." Eno likened the process to "create a small precious masterpiece».
Another piece of music, which can be associated with Windows, it's a song Rolling Stones Start Me Up, sounded in a commercial operating system in 1995.

My favorite food in the "Microsoft" - pizza
The number of free vkusnyashek certainly not go to any comparison with the number in the offices of "Google". Nevertheless, Microsoft employees annually drink 23 million free drinks. Milk and orange juice - clear leaders among zhazhdoutoliteley. A branded bus companies have free candy. As for thorough nutrition, 35 cafeterias daily serve 37,000 people. Pizza is crowned by a list of the most popular lunch.

"Microsoft" uses code names
Starting with the first operating system, the company produces all of its projects under the code names, the long list of which is given in the "Wikipedia". It is known that Gates was launched Windows called Interface Manager, but one of the employees of the company persuaded him to change the name.
Longhorn, Lone Star and Vienna - also used "Microsoft" code names. The temptation to add to this list of Mojave, but really it's just a part of the advertising campaign. "Mojave Experiment" - a marketing initiative designed to overcome negative attitudes to Windows Vista due to the fact that this operating system made available to users as a completely new product.

Portrait of middle maykrosoftovtsa
The average employee "Microsoft" (or softie, as they call themselves) - 38-year-old man. Developer positions on the average annual salary is about 106 000 dollars.
Now in the state of 88,180 employees (more than 50 thousand. In the USA), which are placed on the territory of 3,010,503 square meters. m. Men in the company much more than women; eg among employees of their US offices 76%.

Candy M & Ms - symbol anniversaries
All companies have their corporate practices, and "Microsoft" is no exception. Here it is celebrated every year with the company, treating colleagues pellets M & Ms.
For each year of the employee brings a pound of chocolates. If we assume that Bill Gates is also in compliance with this custom, then, say, June 27, 2008, he was supposed to appear in the office with 33 pounds of M & Ms.

"Microsoft" splitting their shares 9 times
"Microsoft" shared their shares for less at par nine times since then, in March 1986 the company went public. If to explain simply, then do so, when the value of the stock is too high.
6 fragmentations produced a two to one and three to one to three crushing. This means that one "original" share of the company stands as the current 288. First price of the shares was $ 21 apiece, and now about 23. No one crushing the first action of the company would be worth now 6 thousand. Dollars.

The "Microsoft" a huge collection of works of art
And no, we are not talking about the clip-art. "Microsoft" is one of the largest corporate collectors and owns more than 5 thousand. Of contemporary art, including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, glass-works, multimedia projects. In the fall collection of works by local artists, promising and already recognized authors, such as Cindy Sherman, Chuck Close and Takashi Murakami.
Most of the works exhibited in the 150 Office "Microsoft" in the company believe in the ability of art to rescue employees from stress, improve efficiency, promote self-expression.

On interviews in the "Microsoft" asked strange questions
"Microsoft" is famous for the fact that potential employees need to be prepared for unexpected issues. Often quoted question is: "Why manhole cover round?" It is not known whether it is a real example of corporate or bike, the truth is that the company is very unusual interviewing process. It is believed that "Google" has copied this practice.
Instead of asking the standard "Where do you see yourself in five years?", You will be asked to decide likely logical problem or discuss about the design of the coffee machine, which could be used by astronauts. Obviously, the "Microsoft" is not going in the near future to conquer the market of space coffee machines, just such questions help identify candidates with creative thinking.

The "Microsoft" more than 10 thousand. Patents
The company now owns more than 10 thousand. Patents and delivers 3 thousand. New each year, which allows the company to enter the top five patent holders in the United States.
Although most of the patents relates to obscure pieces of software, 5000th and 10,000th patents protect quite solid, user friendly ideas. The first relates to the technology Xbox 360 games, allows you to watch video game remotely, the second - to the Microsoft Surface, combining real-world objects with the electronic data and images.
The company rewards employees for new patents. In addition to the cash bonus of 1, 5 thousand. Dollars they get exactly wooden plaque and a decorative black cube with the name and date of the patent.

Bonus: a full Microsoft rabbits!
Jolie O'Dell confirmed another fact about the company during his recent visit to the headquarters in Redmond: "A long time ago someone released on a grassy hill near the" Microsoft "a whole bunch of rapidly proliferating rabbits that remained after Easter," - says Jolie. - "And rabbits do what they do best - with making new rabbits».
At some point, the rabbits were so many that the employees had to catch and sterilize animals. But even now, a lot of jumping around the office eared cuties. Much nicer than Google release goats.
The paper Seattle Times in 1998 wrote that rabbits are found not only around the "Microsoft", but seen in the "Nintendo", "Eddie Bauer" and other companies in the area. This led to the creation of Redmond Coalition for rabbits, which advocated a humane solution to the problem with a "pest".