2/3/92 Microsoft announces the creation of a three-person "Officeof the President." The Company outlines three centers ofstrategic focus: Worldwide Product Group headed by Mike Maples;Worldwide Sales and Support Group headed by Steve Ballmer; andWorldwide Operations Group headed by Frank Gaudette. All organizationalchanges are effective March 1, 1992.
3/1/92 Microsoft announces that Michael Hallman is stepping downas the President of Microsoft and as a member of the Board ofDirectors. He will become a consultant to the Company. His positionis filled by the newly created three-member "Office of thePresident."
3/1/92 Microsoft kicks off its first-ever television advertisingcampaign. The TV ads are designed to demonstrate the benefitsof Windows-based computing to a new, broader audience. The campaignwas developed by the Ogilvy & Mather Agency in Los Angeles.
3/24/92 Microsoft and Fox Software Inc. of Perrysburg, Ohio, announcethat they intend to merge the two companies. Under the terms ofthe letter of intent, Microsoft will exchange approximately 1.36million shares of its common stock for all of the outstandingstock of Fox Software.
4/6/92 Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows 3.1 with over 1,000 enhancements.The new version created unprecedented user demand with over onemillion advance orders placed worldwide. To help customers, Microsofthas trained thousands of resellers and has in place more than500 product support personnel.
4/27/92 Microsoft announces that its Board of Directors has approveda 3-for-2 stock split. Shareholders will receive one additionalshare for every two Microsoft shares held on the record date ofJune 3, 1992. Cash will be paid in lieu of the issuance of anyfractional shares.
6/23/92 President George Bush awards Bill Gates the National Medalof Technology for Technological Achievement, at a White HouseRose Garden ceremony. The President recognizes Gates "forhis early vision of universal computing at home and in the office;for his technical and business management skills in creating aworldwide technology company; and for his contribution to thedevelopment of the personal computing industry."
10/27/92 Microsoft announces the worldwide availability of MicrosoftWindows for Workgroups 3.1 which integrates networking and workgroupfunctionality directly into Windows 3.1. The product allows commonactivities of sending electronic mail, scheduling group meetings,sharing files and printers, managing calendars, and working togetheron groups projects. It can provide networking capabilities onits own, or it can be used as a client on an existing local areanetwork.
11/11/92 Microsoft announces that the Microsoft Windows NT betaprogram is shipping to corporations for system evaluation. Also,the Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows NT, whichincludes the same beta code plus additional development tools,is being delivered to developers.
11/16/92 Microsoft announces the immediate availability of MicrosoftAccess Database for Windows, at Fall/COMDEX '92. The new, fully-featuredand fully relational DBMS provides easy, transparent access todata; powerful, usability-tested tools; and a robust developmentenvironment.