In 60 seconds
- It is betting on AI, with Copilot in Windows, Office, GitHub and Azure.
- Azure made over $100B in FY2026.
- It owns about 27% of OpenAI and is putting up to $5B into Anthropic.
- It spends $35.6B a year on research across ten labs.
Company briefing Updated 30 September 2026
Microsoft
What Microsoft is building, buying and planning, and what it will likely do next.
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, USA
- Founded
- 1975
- Chair and CEO
- Satya Nadella
- Sector
- Software, cloud and AI
A 311 Institute briefing. Trusted by leaders at Accenture · Adidas · Google · PepsiCo · Qualcomm · Samsung
01
Overview
The short version, then our scorecard.
Why it matters
Most organisations run on Microsoft. As it adds AI, the way your people work will change.
Our reading Foresight
Strong in AI and cloud. Weaker in devices and gaming.
$331.8BRevenue, up 18%
$100B+Azure revenue
~27%of OpenAI
AI
LeadingAI business at a $37B annual run rate
Cloud
LeadingAzure revenue over $100B
Devices
SlowingWindows and devices down 7% in Q4
Gaming
Under pressureXbox content and services down 10% in Q4
Productivity
Leading30M+ paid Copilot seats
Quantum
EarlyPromising, not yet proven at scale
Research
GrowingR&D spend $35.6B, up 9.5%
Green: leading or growingAmber: early or mixedRed: slowing or under pressureRatings are 311 Institute analysis; the evidence comes from Microsoft’s results.
02
News
A
Ask
We answer from our articles and link every source.
Try
B
Browse
Each dot is a story. Switch a row off to hide it.
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Transformational changes the industrySignificant a notable moveSignal an early sign of change
How we rate facts
Every fact has a label showing how well it is sourced. See the full source ledger.
03
R&D Trends
Where it researches, how much it spends and how that is changing.
Research labs. Tap a pin to see a lab.
Research momentum, FY2022 to FY2026
Microsoft annual reports. Share of revenue and spend per R&D employee are calculated.
04
Investments
Pick a period, or press Play. Every card updates.
05
The Next Decade Foresight
Our view of what comes next. Use it to plan, not as a promise.
- AI agents do routine office work
Copilot agents do scheduling, reports and analysis for most big customers.
- A portfolio of models
Microsoft uses its own AI models as well as OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s.
- Quantum becomes useful
Quantum computers start doing real work through the cloud.
- Creative machines at work
AI helps create software, documents and media in everyday tools.
- Power becomes strategy
Access to clean and nuclear power decides who wins in AI.
- The operating system for AI work
Microsoft becomes where people and AI agents work together, as Windows was for the PC.
The AI work platform
It becomes the main place where AI agents work.
AI and quantum leader
Its AI matches the best and quantum opens new markets.
Squeezed in the middle
AI makers sell elsewhere, costs rise and rivals win.
Plan your next decade. Matthew Griffin runs sessions for boards on what this means for them.
Book a scenario briefing06
More
Ten quick briefings. Hover to pause.
Risks
What could go wrong
Hover or tap to openRisks
- AI costs can grow faster than AI sales
- Since April 2026, rivals can sell OpenAI’s models too
- Not enough power for new data centres
- It relies on AI partners it does not control
311 Institute analysis Foresight
Regulation
The rules it must follow
Hover or tap to openRegulation
- Regulators check big AI and cloud deals
- New AI laws shape how Copilot is sold
- Data and security rules for its cloud
- We track new rulings and laws
What we track
Leadership and People
Who runs Microsoft
Hover or tap to openLeadership and People
- Satya Nadella, chair and chief executive
- Amy Hood, chief financial officer
- Mustafa Suleyman, chief of Microsoft AI
- We track senior hires and departures
Sources: Microsoft results; reporting Primary
Competitors and Peers
Who it competes with
Hover or tap to openCompetitors and Peers
- Google: appears in 36 of our Microsoft articles
- Amazon: 12 shared articles
- Meta: 10 shared articles
- IBM: 11 shared articles; Nvidia is partner and supplier (17)
Source: 311 Institute article tags
Products and Platforms
What it sells
Hover or tap to openProducts and Platforms
- Microsoft 365 and Copilot
- Azure cloud and AI services
- Windows and devices
- GitHub, LinkedIn, Dynamics 365 and Xbox
Source: Microsoft
Partners and Ecosystem
Who it builds with
Hover or tap to openPartners and Ecosystem
- OpenAI: about 27% stake
- Anthropic: up to $5B, and a $30B Azure commitment
- Nvidia: chips, and a co-investor in Anthropic
- G42 and Mistral AI: strategic investments
Sources: Microsoft, CNBC Corroborated
Talent and Hiring Signals
Where it is hiring and cutting
Hover or tap to openTalent and Hiring Signals
- Research spending rose while research staff fell
- It offered early retirement in 2026
- It is spending heavily on AI talent and computers
- Hiring shows where it is heading
Source: Microsoft filings, FY2026 Primary
Patents and Research Papers
Clues to what comes next
Hover or tap to openPatents and Research Papers
- Patent filings by technology field
- Research papers from Microsoft Research labs
- Which fields are growing fastest
- Coming soon: live counts from our research feeds
In development
ESG and Energy
Power and climate
Hover or tap to openESG and Energy
- Restarting the Three Mile Island reactor to power AI data centres
- Green concrete data centres
- Superconducting cabling to cut power losses
- AI and critical thinking research
Source: 311 Institute articles
Reports and Filings
Where the numbers come from
Hover or tap to openReports and Filings
- Annual report and 10-K, FY2026
- Quarterly results, Q4 FY2026
- 311 Institute: The Global AI Power Index 2026
- The 311 Most Innovative Companies ranking (coming soon)
Sources: SEC, Microsoft, 311 Institute