2/3/92 Microsoft announces the creation of a three-person "Office of the President." The Company outlines three centers of strategic focus: Worldwide Product Group headed by Mike Maples; Worldwide Sales and Support Group headed by Steve Ballmer; and Worldwide Operations Group headed by Frank Gaudette. All organizational changes are effective March 1, 1992.
3/1/92 Microsoft announces that Michael Hallman is stepping down as the President of Microsoft and as a member of the Board of Directors. He will become a consultant to the Company. His position is filled by the newly created three-member "Office of the President."
3/1/92 Microsoft kicks off its first-ever television advertising campaign. The TV ads are designed to demonstrate the benefits of Windows-based computing to a new, broader audience. The campaign was developed by the Ogilvy & Mather Agency in Los Angeles.
3/24/92 Microsoft and Fox Software Inc. of Perrysburg, Ohio, announce that they intend to merge the two companies. Under the terms of the letter of intent, Microsoft will exchange approximately 1.36 million shares of its common stock for all of the outstanding stock of Fox Software.
4/6/92 Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows 3.1 with over 1,000 enhancements. The new version created unprecedented user demand with over one million advance orders placed worldwide. To help customers, Microsoft has trained thousands of resellers and has in place more than 500 product support personnel.
4/27/92 Microsoft announces that its Board of Directors has approved a 3-for-2 stock split. Shareholders will receive one additional share for every two Microsoft shares held on the record date of June 3, 1992. Cash will be paid in lieu of the issuance of any fractional shares.
6/23/92 President George Bush awards Bill Gates the National Medal of Technology for Technological Achievement, at a White House Rose Garden ceremony. The President recognizes Gates "for his early vision of universal computing at home and in the office; for his technical and business management skills in creating a worldwide technology company; and for his contribution to the development of the personal computing industry."
10/27/92 Microsoft announces the worldwide availability of Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 which integrates networking and workgroup functionality directly into Windows 3.1. The product allows common activities of sending electronic mail, scheduling group meetings, sharing files and printers, managing calendars, and working together on groups projects. It can provide networking capabilities on its own, or it can be used as a client on an existing local area network.
11/11/92 Microsoft announces that the Microsoft Windows NT beta program is shipping to corporations for system evaluation. Also, the Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows NT, which includes the same beta code plus additional development tools, is being delivered to developers.
11/16/92 Microsoft announces the immediate availability of Microsoft Access Database for Windows, at Fall/COMDEX '92. The new, fully-featured and fully relational DBMS provides easy, transparent access to data; powerful, usability-tested tools; and a robust development environment.