Microsoft is 40 years old

Microsoft was born on the fourth day of April 1975, co-founded by 19-year-old Bill Gates and 22-year-old Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since then, Gates became the wealthiest man in the world, and Allen pursued other endeavours away from Microsoft since the 1980s. Now, Bill Gates focuses on philanthropic efforts while acting as technical advisor for the company he co-founded that is now led by Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer's successor and the third CEO of the company so far.

The letter that Gates wrote to Microsoft employees on April 3rd and leaked online one day later highlights that the company is "better positioned than ever" to lead advances in various areas of computing, also recalling the key role played in the technological revolution of the last four decades. "We have the resources to drive and solve tough problems. We are engaged in every facet of modern computing and have the deepest commitment to research in the industry," writes Gates.

Bill Gates names products like Cortana, Skype Translator, and HoloLens as "few of the many innovations that are on the way." With advanced computing hardware and fast connectivity reaching more and more people each year, it looks like the future is both full of opportunities and challenges for Microsoft.

Happy birthday, Microsoft!