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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(600)
- News (171)
- Research (350)
- Events (5)
- Multimedia (16)
- Faculty Publications (188)
- August 2002 (Revised September 2002)
- Background Note
Financial Analysis of Microsoft
Contains a detailed analysis of Microsoft's financial performance from 1985 to 2001. During this time, Microsoft improved its profitability and cash flow generation--changes that led to a dramatic rise in valuation. Also addresses the issue of determining how much... View Details
Sahlman, William A. "Financial Analysis of Microsoft." Harvard Business School Background Note 803-019, August 2002. (Revised September 2002.)
- May 1998
- Supplement
Microsoft Goes Online: MSN 1998
By: David B. Yoffie
To be handed out as a follow-up to Microsoft Goes Online: MSN--1996. View Details
Keywords: Information Technology Industry
Yoffie, David B. "Microsoft Goes Online: MSN 1998." Harvard Business School Supplement 798-108, May 1998.
- October 1997 (Revised January 1998)
- Case
Microsoft Goes Online: MSN 1997
By: David B. Yoffie
To be handed out as a follow-up to Microsoft Goes Online: MSN--1996. View Details
Yoffie, David B. "Microsoft Goes Online: MSN 1997." Harvard Business School Case 798-035, October 1997. (Revised January 1998.)
- June 1998 (Revised August 2000)
- Case
Microsoft CarPoint
CarPoint.com was Microsoft's Web-based entry into on-line automobile retailing. While it could not, in fact, "sell" or deliver any cars, it could shift much of consumer search, comparison, and decision-making, including pricing, the traditional car dealer to the Web.... View Details
Keywords: Internet and the Web; Service Operations; Market Entry and Exit; Consumer Behavior; Auto Industry; Retail Industry
Rayport, Jeffrey F., Avnish S. Bajaj, Steffan Haithcox, and Michael V. Kadyan. "Microsoft CarPoint." Harvard Business School Case 898-280, June 1998. (Revised August 2000.)
- June 2004 (Revised November 2004)
- Case
Microsoft in 2004
By: Michael G. Rukstad, David B. Yoffie, Brian DeLacey and Deborah Freier
Surveys Microsoft's expansion into new businesses, such as mobile and embedded devices, home and entertainment, and business solutions, as it faces challenges due to size and maturity and outside threats from Linux and Google. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details
Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Applications and Software; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Technology Industry; Washington (state, US)
Rukstad, Michael G., David B. Yoffie, Brian DeLacey, and Deborah Freier. "Microsoft in 2004." Harvard Business School Case 704-508, June 2004. (Revised November 2004.)
- November 2006 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Microsoft Xbox: Changing the Game?
By: Andrei Hagiu
In September 1999, the Microsoft Xbox team was wondering which strategic choices would give it the best chance against the upcoming Sony PlayStation 2. Initially called "Project Midway" within Microsoft, the console project was intended to counter the perceived threat... View Details
Keywords: Customers; Recruitment; Leadership; Management Teams; Multi-Sided Platforms; Two-Sided Platforms; Production; Strategy; Competition; Expansion; Video Game Industry; Texas
Hagiu, Andrei. "Microsoft Xbox: Changing the Game?" Harvard Business School Case 707-501, November 2006. (Revised February 2007.)
- 04 Feb 2014
- News
Not clear who's running Microsoft
- January 2019 (Revised October 2019)
- Case
Commercial Sales Transformation at Microsoft
By: Doug J. Chung
Industry leaders should adapt to changes in the business context and consider different ways to grow. Advances in technology had shifted software demand to the cloud. As a result, Microsoft announced a strategic shift in direction from its existing ‘Windows first’... View Details
Chung, Doug J. "Commercial Sales Transformation at Microsoft." Harvard Business School Case 519-054, January 2019. (Revised October 2019.)
- 08 Feb 2017
- HBS Seminar
Andrew Mao, Microsoft Research
- June 2000 (Revised June 2000)
- Case
Microsoft Office 2000
By: Alan D. MacCormack and Kerry Herman
Describes the history of Microsoft's Office product suite. Discusses evolution of the Office 2000 project. Set at the end of the project when Steven Sinofsky, Office vice president, must decide upon the direction for the next version of Office, as well as make changes... View Details
Keywords: Applications and Software; Product Development; Risk and Uncertainty; Change; Innovation and Management; Information Technology Industry
MacCormack, Alan D., and Kerry Herman. "Microsoft Office 2000." Harvard Business School Case 600-097, June 2000. (Revised June 2000.)
- May 2021 (Revised June 2021)
- Case
Zoom Video Communications vs. Microsoft Teams
By: Andy Wu
In June 2021, Zoom executives prepared for competition in the post-pandemic world. Zoom‘s breakthrough success in the previous year put the company in a position to set up many new opportunities going forward. At the same time, its success attracted competitors like... View Details
Wu, Andy. "Zoom Video Communications vs. Microsoft Teams." Harvard Business School Case 721-483, May 2021. (Revised June 2021.)
- June 2005 (Revised January 2006)
- Case
Microsoft in 2005
By: David B. Yoffie, Darmesh M Mehta and Rudina I Seseri
Focuses on Microsoft's strategy for sustaining competitive advantage in the global software industry. Also, explores Microsoft's history and its current position, as it tries to diversify its product and service revenue streams. View Details
Keywords: Diversification; Business History; Marketing Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Applications and Software; Globalized Markets and Industries; Information Technology Industry
Yoffie, David B., Darmesh M Mehta, and Rudina I Seseri. "Microsoft in 2005." Harvard Business School Case 705-505, June 2005. (Revised January 2006.)
- February 2007 (Revised August 2007)
- Case
Microsoft Office 2007
By: Marco Iansiti and Bianca Buccitelli
A discussion of the history and processes behind the development of Microsoft's Office 12 software. View Details
Keywords: History; Applications and Software; Research and Development; Business Processes; Product Development
Iansiti, Marco, and Bianca Buccitelli. "Microsoft Office 2007." Harvard Business School Case 607-015, February 2007. (Revised August 2007.)
- December 2021 (Revised March 2022)
- Case
Collaboration Wars: Slack vs. Microsoft Teams
By: David B. Yoffie, Kriti Gupta, Mehek Punatar, Poonam Sacheti and Poorvi Vijay
In 2021, Slack was acquired by Salesforce. While widely viewed as the best corporate collaboration and messaging software, Slack was being challenged by Microsoft, which was giving away its competitive product, Microsoft Teams, for free with a subscription to... View Details
Keywords: Information Technology; Applications and Software; Technology Adoption; Acquisition; Business Model; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Competition; Expansion; Technology Industry
Yoffie, David B., Kriti Gupta, Mehek Punatar, Poonam Sacheti, and Poorvi Vijay. "Collaboration Wars: Slack vs. Microsoft Teams." Harvard Business School Case 722-398, December 2021. (Revised March 2022.)
- 19 Nov 2013
- News
Microsoft CEO Switch Not Enough Change
- July 2022 (Revised January 2025)
- Case
Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard
By: Jonas Heese, Joseph Pacelli and James Barnett
In January 2022, Microsoft announces its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion, which would make Microsoft the world’s third largest video game company. The deal came as Activision Blizzard faced gender pay... View Details
Keywords: Accounting; Goodwill Accounting; Analysis; Decision Making; Talent and Talent Management; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Ethics; Leadership; Risk and Uncertainty; Mergers and Acquisitions; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Video Game Industry; North America; California
Heese, Jonas, Joseph Pacelli, and James Barnett. "Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard." Harvard Business School Case 123-011, July 2022. (Revised January 2025.)
- October 2017
- Case
The Transformation of Microsoft
By: C. Fritz Foley, E. Scott Mayfield and F. Katelynn Boland
In early 2015, Amy Hood, CFO of Microsoft, and the rest of the senior leadership team faced a set of fundamental choices. The firm had opportunities to serve customers in ways that would be associated with higher growth but lower margin. Some of these opportunities... View Details
Keywords: Growth; Corporate Finance; Valuation; Growth Management; Communication Strategy; Transformation; Information Technology Industry; Computer Industry; United States
Foley, C. Fritz, E. Scott Mayfield, and F. Katelynn Boland. "The Transformation of Microsoft." Harvard Business School Case 218-048, October 2017.
- 06 Jun 2005
- Research & Ideas
Microsoft vs. Open Source: Who Will Win?
Want to get a heated debate going among technologists? Ask them this question: Can the open source software movement defeat (or severely cripple) Microsoft in the marketplace? With little academic attention focused on this question,... View Details
- 08 May 2018
- News
Microsoft Tries a New Role: Moral Leader
- July 2024 (Revised May 2025)
- Teaching Note
Leading Culture Change at Microsoft Western Europe
By: Amy C. Edmondson and Catherine Huang
This teaching plan is designed to be used in conjunction with the case study “Leading Culture Change at Microsoft Western Europe,” HBS No. 624-096, to help faculty deepen student understanding of psychological safety and organizational culture transformation through... View Details