May 26, 1995
Bill Gates declares the "Internet tidal wave"
Bill Gates's internal MicrosoftThe software giant behind Windows, Office, Azure, and Xbox — founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. memo redirects the company to make the Internet central to every product.
Quote
“The Internet is a tidal wave. It changes the rules. It is an incredible opportunity as well as an incredible challenge.”
What it was for
Gates had initially dismissed the web; this memo is the pivot. It led to IEInternet Explorer — Microsoft's browser that dominated the web in the 1990s and 2000s. bundling, MSN strategy, and the browser wars — and later antitrustLaws limiting monopolies and unfair competition — shaped landmark cases against Microsoft, Google, and Apple. scrutiny.
People
- Bill Gates — ceo
Companies
- Microsoft
Why it's here
The moment MicrosoftThe software giant behind Windows, Office, Azure, and Xbox — founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. officially bet the company on the web.
Why it mattered
It accelerated browser development and reshaped Windows as a networked platform.
What it solved
MicrosoftThe software giant behind Windows, Office, Azure, and Xbox — founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. risked missing the Internet after focusing on desktop CD-ROMCompact disc read-only memory — a CD used as a non-writable data storage medium. products.
Media
- YouTubeBill Gates explains the Internet to David Letterman (1995)
ImageBill GatesBogdan Hoyaux / European Union, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen found MicrosoftApril 4, 1975
- Internet Explorer 1.0 releasedAugust 16, 1995