The Numbers That Define the Microsoft Empire

In the 22 years since Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft, the small software company has grown into a $11 billion a year giant. Microsoft employs more than 22 thousand people world wide, and, because international operations account for 58 percent of it's total revenues, the company now has offices in 54 countries.

Despite the fuss over Internet Explorer, the company's core business remains in operating systems and office software, which between them account for more than 65 percent of revenues.

One telling statistic: Just two years after Bill Gates made the Internet Microsoft's number one priority, Internet Explorer commands around 40 percent of the browser market.