SUCCESS STORY OF BILL GATES AND ALLEN PAUL – THE CO-FOUNDERS OF MICROSOFT

Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen got introduced to each other in the late 1960s at Lakeside School in Seattle when Gates was in the 8th standard while Allen was in the 10th. It was the desire of understanding a computer terminal that bought them together and help them create the worldwide tech giant – Microsoft.

During their time, computer terminals were rare and expensive to use i.e., $40 an hour. To increase their time utilization with computer terminals, they thought of exploiting a bug in the system. This later drew them officially closer by making them want to explore the world of computers for free by identifying certain problems. They continue to work after high school and in 1974, while Gates was studying at Harvard University, they were both computer programmers at a software company – Honeywell.

At 19, Gates dropped out of Harvard and began to work towards developing a platform that would later turn into the world’s biggest technological giant that we all know of – Microsoft. Allen Paul always helped Gates in his activities and coordinated the process of the launch.

Today Microsoft Corporation is an American technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington and it is the platform for the invention, manufacturing, and licensing of goods and computer services. Before Allen and Gates cofounded Microsoft, they were offered limited computer access in various organizations based on their superior intellect and clarity in computer performance. Both computer geeks are also known to run a small company named Traf-O-Data while they were in high school. Soon after dropping out of college, the launch of Microsoft required quite a preparation. While Gates began improving his programming skills at Harvard’s computer center, Allen moved to Boston as a computer programmer from where he coordinated with Gates to work on full-time projects and plan what needs to be done at first.

In January 1975, Allen made an article about the Altair 8800 microcomputer in Popular Electronics Magazine and showed it to Gates. The latter called MITS- Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, makers of the Altair, and then both childhood friends were offered services to write a version of the new BASIC programming language for the Altair. After 8 weeks, both demonstrated their program to MITS, and they later agreed to market their product under the name Altair BASIC. Thus, Gates and Allen drew enough inspiration to run their own software company. This company was named Microsoft on 4th April 1975 based in New Mexico with Gates as the first CEO. On August 1977, the company opened its first international office and its branch in Japan was called ASCII Microsoft. In 1979, the company moved to Bellevue, Washington, and two years after got incorporated as Microsoft Inc. gates became its president and Board Chairman while Allen became the Vice-President.

Bot of the American software developer soon turned out to be big business magnates and their success counted not by chance but because of their hard work and numerous failed attempts of trial and error. Their company Traf-O-Data specializes in traffic-counting systems and creating reports for traffic engineers. Soon after working with MITS, the duo started to feel the focus on the products and services of creating the background of Microsoft. Gates never believed to work alone because according to him human brains combined can unleash potential way better than solo. Therefore, he always worked with his childhood friend Allen as a team Gates was dedicated to establishing Microsoft and the combined partnership with Allen made him much more passionate and drew him closer to success.

At 31, Gates was the youngest billionaire in the world. The word Microsoft meant Micro-Soft as in microprocessors and software which first began its journey to produce software for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. By end of 1978, the sales of Microsoft exceeded $1 million and then soon the company went on to license its MS-DOS OS to IBM for its first personal computer, which debuted in 1981. It is real awe to think how two college drop-outs and mentally mad computer geeks founded the world’s largest technological giant platform which is known to all from every corner.