Businesses. Many of them can have an eat-or-be-eaten mentality when it comes to competition and especially when it comes to technology. And with the stellar technological advances of Apple, Google, Amazon and more, the powerhouse of the 90s is finding it a challenge to keep up. Yet, Microsoft has been playing the theoretical game of computers and technology longer than nearly any of its competitors; so it knows how to maintain itself and is finding innovative ways to stay in the ring.

Here are 4 reasons why Microsoft is still around today:

Inertia Through The Ages

You know how some people get attached to certain car makers such as Chevy or Dodge and won't even flirt with the idea of switching over? Microsoft Windows has something akin to this. Many businesses and educational institutions in the 90s used Windows' services to the point that it became a large workplace staple that every business had. This momentum has helped carry loyal users of Microsoft throughout the decades, and still to this day more than 90% of corporate desktops use Windows.

Advancements In Technology

Microsoft, as an innovative company, has kept pace with the times and released the favored Windows 10, which is an operating system that allows its universal apps to run across many of Microsoft's products—such as PCs, tablets, smartphones, Xbox One, Surface Hub, and more. Windows 7 is also worth mentioning, as 450 million licenses were sold since its launch in 2009. That makes it the fastest-growing operating system ever.

It also is beating Google Cloud (GC) and rivaling Amazon Web Services (AWS) in terms of cloud computing services, with its Microsoft Azure at 28.4% in market shares, while AWS leading with 37.1% and GC behind at 16.5%. Yet Microsoft Azure seems to be gaining traction, with its revenue more than doubling year over year again. This has led some to believe Microsoft Azure could eventually challenge AWS for the top cloud service.

For the Love of Gamers

In the gaming world, Xbox is well-known and highly favored, so much to the point that Microsoft sold 66 million copies worldwide of Xbox 360 since its release in 2015. And although it is in tough competition with Sony's PS4, Microsoft is currently in the works with its Xbox 360 Project Scorpio. It's a new console that is made to be compatible with previous Xbox One and Xbox 360 games as well as improve quality and decrease loading times for games. This is in addition to its 40 million members on Xbox LIVE, a paid-for subscription service that allows players to download games and play multiplayer online.

Assets On The Rise

Microsoft also knows the importance of expanding its reach to other services, which resulted in it buying Skype back in 2011 and LinkedIn just last year. Microsoft also recently purchased the rights to Mojang, a video game developer known for creating the popular game Minecraft. The game is so universally enjoyed that it is estimated to sell 53,000 copies a day.

With its key acquisitions reaching well over a hundred different companies and programs in the last thirty years, Microsoft has proven to be a leading giant in services predominantly relating to computing. And with its customer loyalty to Windows and its new advancements in Microsoft Azure, gaming consoles, and purchases assets, Microsoft manages to not only maintain its users, but also increase them in an ever-aggressive technical world. Don't expect them to go anywhere any time soon.

If you're looking to upgrade your Windows skills, check out some of our upcoming courses here.