--- description: Find out why Microsoft was selected for the inaugural list title: TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2021: Microsoft image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2604f92414155aad/698a18e6096a9428f86a94d9/microsoft-time100-companies.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Apr 26, 2021 # Microsoft Powering the lockdown by [Eben Shapiro](/author/eben-shapiro/) ## Eben Shapiro Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Eben Shapiro is the former deputy editor of TIME  A still from Microsoft Mesh, a new mixed-reality platform powered by Azure that allows people in different physical locations to join collaborative and shared holographic experiences on many kinds of devices. A still from Microsoft Mesh, a new mixed-reality platform powered by Azure that allows people in different physical locations to join collaborative and shared holographic experiences on many kinds of devices.Courtesy Microsoft In a year when fellow tech giants were slammed for their role in anticompetitive behavior and spreading disinformation, [Microsoft](https://time.com/tag/microsoft/ "undefined") kept its head down and deftly exploited a portfolio of businesses exquisitely tailored to benefit from the global lockdown. The company stock gained nearly 50% over the past year, resulting in a market cap of over $1.7 trillion—buoyed by the company’s Azure cloud-computing business, which helped drive the pivot to working from home, and its recent introduction of Microsoft Mesh, an augmented-reality platform that incorporates holographic experiences into virtual gatherings. Microsoft also doubled down on the turbocharged gaming industry by launching two new Xbox consoles (the Series X and the Series S), and acquiring ZeniMax Media, a leading game developer, for $7.5 billion. Going forward, Microsoft is investing in its high-growth areas, announcing plans to add cloud-data centers in seven new regions in Asia, Europe and Latin America. “What we have witnessed over the past year is the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry,” said Microsoft [CEO Satya Nadella](https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217556/satya-nadella/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-companies/5953741/microsoft/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-companies/5953741/microsoft/"},"headline":"Microsoft","datePublished":"2021-04-26T23:22:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:49:24.609Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-companies/5953741/microsoft/","keywords":["Lists","franchise","TIME100 Companies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2604f92414155aad/698a18e6096a9428f86a94d9/microsoft-time100-companies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eben Shapiro","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eben-shapiro/"}],"creator":"Eben Shapiro","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2604f92414155aad/698a18e6096a9428f86a94d9/microsoft-time100-companies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-companies/5953741/microsoft/","name":"Microsoft"}}]}] ```