Microsoft has come a long way since its humble beginnings in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, two young college dropouts, founded a small boutique computer company. If you’re looking to find new software solutions this post is for you! Take the advice of this Microsoft’s Golden Partner and get ready for the best Microsoft products all business owners and teams find very useful throughout the years.
Counting on an experienced tech and IT outsourcing partner to implement Microsoft solutions is a smart decision when it comes to improving your team and business performance. Find your IT solution here!
Index
- These Are the Top 10 Microsoft Products of All Time
- Advancio’s Windows Microsoft Products in a Nutshell
- How to Get a Microsoft License
These Are the Top 10 Microsoft Products of All Time
10. Windows XP
With each iteration released every few years, Windows operating system has undergone some major revamps over the past decades. Microsoft took the experience gained from each iteration and created a version of Windows that held the top market share of computer operating systems. The end result was Windows XP, and its default desktop picture is now synonymous with stability and innovation. All users, whether it was the consumer, developer, student, small business, or enterprise was using Windows XP heavily from its launch in 2001 all the way until the beginning of the 2010 decade. Some people still praised it as the all-time best version of Windows.
9. Bing
You might know Bing as the search engine that is historically overshadowed by Google. Bing is without a doubt not as popular, but can proudly claim the title of second-best behind the search engine that already has a place in dictionaries (to google something is to look it up on Google). The power of Bing comes from Microsoft’s various experiences with the search engines that preceded it. These include MSN Search, Windows Live Search, Live Search, and Yahoo! Search. Yahoo! Search has a long and storied place in the finance and medical industries. This gaves Bing access to previously compiled indexes.
8. MS DOS
MS-DOS, short for Microsoft Disk Operating System, was the premier operating system for IBM personal computers in the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a classic interface with simple neutral colors that consolidated many different user interfaces and systems before the visual operating systems that we know and use came to be, making them more attractive and widely used among mainstream users. You could say MS-DOS truly defined the ‘personal’ in ‘personal computers.’
7. Microsoft Solitaire
Back in the 1990s, Microsoft faced an issue that would affect its software ease of use and usability. Computer mice were just starting to become popular and Microsoft had adopted the mouse and pointer method for navigating the graphical user interface of Windows. The average consumer didn’t know how to use the mouse. Microsoft tackled this issue by bundling the Solitaire card game with its operating systems, starting with Windows 3.0 in 1990. The game taught users how to use, move, click, drag, and drop, the basic motions and actions required for using a mouse. Many users were also intimidated by the GUI of Windows and the mouse, but Solitaire eased this daunting challenge. Solitaire is included in the new versions of Windows even today, paying homage to an integral piece of software that may have influenced an entire generation.
6. Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is used to develop computer programs, web services, and mobile applications. The first version of Microsoft Visual Studio was released in 1997 and it gave developers great flexibility with its bundled toolkit creating an overall better experience and providing different angles with various development languages, frameworks, and tools. Since 2015, Microsoft has dedicated their Visual Team to adding utility to Visual Studio by revamping the already great interface and overhauling the toolset to make development more efficient.
5. Xbox 360
Microsoft entered the gaming console war with the release of the Xbox in 2001. It featured online game services where players could compete with each other without being in the same room. There was also an intuitive user interface and buddy list system. The Xbox 360 built upon all of this and was released in November 2005. Over 75 million units were sold worldwide and have completely changed the way people think about multiplayer games. With games like Halo and Gears of War, the Xbox 360 proved that online gaming communities could exist on gaming consoles.
The Xbox team at Microsoft went above and beyond with the release of Kinect, a webcam mounted peripherally for the Xbox 360 that enabled gamers to play games with motion gestures and oral commands. For its time, Kinect was truly a technological ingenuity, and that puts the Xbox 360 in the Top 10 Microsoft Products.
4. Microsoft Office
It’s hard to imagine the beginning of the digital era without text editors. The launch of Microsoft Word, followed by Excel, and PowerPoint in the mid-1980s was the precursor to the release of Microsoft Office. These three programs were released separately, with many more Office programs to follow in later years. Microsoft released Office 95 in 1995, which bundled Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Schedule+, and Binder. Professionals and everyday normal consumers around the world have since been utilizing homogenous content creation, editing, and management. Today we applaud the efforts of the Microsoft Office teams from its humble beginnings to the now cloud-based Office 360 that helps businesses power their management teams in addition to offering the great programs that we know and love.
3. Internet Explorer
The history of web browsers is relatively young. It all began with the grandfather of web browsers, Mosaic. Hand in hand with ViolaWWW, the evolution of these systems lead to the release Netscape and subsequently the creation and release of Internet Explorer in 1995. Netscape is no longer with us today, but Internet Explorer is still going strong. While Microsoft Edge replaced Internet Explorer, many professionals are still using Internet Explorer to maintain compatibility for older websites. Internet Explorer was also the default web browser bundled with every version of Windows. For many, the first access to the world wide web was through Internet Explorer. This program and its name itself will remain timeless.
2. Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud web service and arguably a product that can become the next transcendent Microsoft product. Azure is in many ways the future of Microsoft. It offers Virtual Machines, app services, SQL database, storage, frameworks, development tools, and so much more for businesses seeking Digital Transformation and professionals. 95% of all Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft Azure. It offers unprecedented horizontal and vertical scalability that enterprises and corporations are constantly striving for. It operates as a Software as a Service (Saas), Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas), and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
Microsoft Azure runs mainly on the .NET framework, another Microsoft product, and provides over a hundred different services. You can run both Windows or Linux virtual machines on Azure, providing a means to run programs and bring about immediate changes and support. Or essentially set up a Windows or Linux virtual machine that hosts whatever software you want to use and the software runs only when you want it to. Access to this software can be from anywhere in the world due to the nature of the cloud. In many ways, it’s simply a product of the 21st century just like how Windows 95 was a product of the 20th century.
1. Windows 95
Our number one in our Top 10 Microsoft Products of all time is without a doubt Windows 95. It really needs no introduction. Great functionality, Windows File Manager, Program Manager, Windows Explorer, Print Manager, and dynamic interface are just a few reasons why Windows 95 is at the top of our list. This fully integrated version of Windows and DOS and offered built-in internet support and came bundled with Internet Explorer.
The interface of Windows 95 was so great and useful that every version of Windows succeeding Windows 95 uses an upgraded version of the original user interface. It’s the interface that hundreds of millions of people around the world are familiar with. A desktop with icons, a start button that gives access to programs, and a taskbar that displays the programs that are currently running. Windows 95 was released during the dot com boom and certainly assisted in connecting millions of users to the World Wide Web for the very first time. It’s hard to describe its place in technology history and its impact will remain undeniable for eternity.
So, after doing the great countdown, what is Microsoft doing today with its products?
Advancio’s Windows Microsoft Products in a Nutshell
Microsoft has grown in so many ways while other products have disappeared or evolved. But one thing is for sure: a business transformation can use so many of its products! This is not just about organizing virtual teams but getting all your ideas out there and sharing them with others. To us at Advancio, Azure has been our great ally for specialized software development.. Our .NET developers have given us the Gold Microsoft Partner and I hope this will show a bit more of how much we appreciate this great tool.
If you want to obtain a license for Microsoft 365 (Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, ALL modules, etc); Power Apps which are low code – no code, Azure, Microsoft Business, and security (endpoints, teams, etc), contact us to learn how. Let’s review some of the Microsoft Windows Products that we recommend:
Microsoft Azure
Cloud computing is here to stay, and its strengths include both data migration and process modernization through SaaS. Microsoft Azure offers you a hybrid infrastructure, in which you have access to AI and machine learning. In addition, you’ll have IoT to build, deploy, and enhance apps, in case this is the nature of your business. If it doesn’t, you can improve the protection of your system and access to your communications. The best part is that you get the data for real-time analysis.
Azure AD Basic
This cloud solution works as a centralized manager that encompasses core directory services and application management with advanced identity protection. Based on secured accesses and cybersecurity enhancements, Microsoft Azure Active Directory minimizes time spent and frictions in access. This also allows you to maintain control and visibility of your identity governance.
Microsoft 365 E3
The program improves productivity through an integrated workflow vision that includes Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. With high shared use security, Microsoft 365 E3 involves a collaborative culture. Inside this, your relationships with clients will be more dynamic through the interface of Microsoft applications. You can also count on data loss prevention to keep your information safe.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Customer Engagement
This program offers you organization and easy access to data that helps you build your CRM by making well-informed decisions and generating interactions with customers. Not only does Microsoft Dynamics 365 allow you to nurture your clients through services and experiences. But it also improves your marketing and sales marketing in terms of performance.
This ERP solution provides connectivity through different modules known as sales hubs and marketing hubs in an effort to streamline processes and centralize digital transformation. You can then work smarter, analyze sales data and create personalized customer experiences. Furthermore, you get more insights through a built network and connect your teams to other applications that strengthen their collaboration.
Power BI Pro
With Microsoft Power BI, you and your team can use the best data visualizations and analytics to quickly find insights. This can be done while you maintain workflow collaborations across different Microsoft technologies. The business intelligence platform allows you to share those findings to make data-driven decisions and customized dashboards. Additionally, you can have access to centralized processing, and meet local regulations based on a national cloud.
How to Get a Microsoft License
As a Microsoft Partner, Advancio provides you with a Microsoft license, so your team can start seeing improvements in their performance. But if you’re not fully convinced, as part of the Microsoft business you can build a stronger relationship between you, your partners, and your clients alongside taking advantage of it regarding your type of Microsoft hub.
On the one hand, Microsoft Startups or Microsoft Bizspark Program is ideal for supporting founders in a designed Founders Hub environment that includes mentorship, guidance, networking, and Microsoft programs. You’ll also have access to Azure credits to help you ideate your startup, develop your MVP, grow your product, or scale your company.
On the other hand, Microsoft Partner Network is a hub where people share ideas to help you build solutions that you can deliver to your customers in a successful manner. The network is full of resources, programs, tools, news community, insights, and more to help you perform better.
In conclusion, Microsoft packages give you access to programs, app development and integration, hybrid infrastructure, business intelligence, data analytics. It also provides you with AI, machine learning, cloud computing and productivity, DevOps, enhanced security, EMM, ERP, CRM.
They also free up team workloads and increase productivity with better communication, more device access, and highly integrated collaboration. The good news is that you can get it in one click!
