The company, who detonated the explosive growth of computer usage by millions, turns thirty years old on August 23, 2005. From college hobbyists, who invented BASIC language for Altair computers designed at enthusiasts, Microsoft turned into world-class corporation that makes products for everyday use.

“As I think about the last 30 years, I’m most proud of our making ‘big bets’ on technologies like the graphical user interface or Web services and watching them grow into something people rely on every day. And the long-term research we’re doing today on some of computer science’s toughest challenges – such as helping computers listen, speak, learn and understand – will lead to what I think will be the next wave of growth and innovation for our industry,” said Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.

Microsoft commemorates 30 years at its annual Company Meeting on Friday, Sept. 23 at Safeco Field in Seattle. Over 16,000 Redmond-based employees will attend to take time to reflect on a strong and memorable history and celebrate the company’s future, which promises to be one of the most incredible periods of technological innovation yet. Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates and chief executive officer Steve Ballmer will congratulate employees for their contributions to date and share their vision for a prosperous future, primed by investments in areas as diverse and vital to the future of technology innovation as graphics, speech recognition, signal processing, facial-expression mapping and quantum computing.

“We’re more excited than ever about the opportunities ahead. We have an amazing pipeline of new products we’ll be releasing over the next 18 months. With our 30-year heritage of delivering low-cost, high-volume innovations, we’re in a great position to provide people and organizations with the software and services they need to achieve their potential,” said Steve Ballmer.

Other company executives speaking at the event about different facets of the Microsoft business include Lisa Brummel, corporate vice president, Human Resources; Christopher Liddell, chief financial officer; Jim Allchin, co-president, Platforms Products & Services Division, and Jeff Raikes, president, Microsoft Business Division. They will each give examples of current investments in the company’s future – from employee incentives to community service and technology advances visible in products today.

Over the next 18 months alone, Microsoft is expected to deliver twice the number of new products and services it has during the past three years combined. The line-up of new and enhanced offerings is expected to transform how people create and manage information, how they get protection from online threats, and how they access TV, movies and other entertainment and play console games.