Founded in 1975 by Paul Allen and Bill Gates, Microsoft is the biggest software publisher for personal and business computing in the world. Since its inception Microsoft has quickly expanded into all computer-related sectors with products ranging from omnipresent apps like Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel to popular games like MechWarrior, Age of Empires and Flight Simulator. With the March 2000 announcement of the Xbox, Microsoft is now also set to take on the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Sega in the console hardware and software business. Microsoft has offices in more than 50 countries and currently employs a staff of almost 40,000 people.