Right from the inception of Microsoft in 1975 to 2006 Bill Gates did not depend on any one else but himself in the primary responsibilities of the every product and the policy regarding it. The management and the policy regarding a product Bill kept in his own hands. He took special care to see that the products of Microsoft that had made a niche in the hearts of the users were not copied or pirated. It was not a smooth sailing for Bill. The policies adopted by him faced legal challenges. One of the charges was that the Microsoft was not transfering the ownership rights to consumer over its products even after selling them to buyer. Bill had to produce evidence in the court to prove that it was a lie circulated by some ill informed journalists. The case was USA v/s Microsoft. Some journalists out of sheer malice were printing untruths and spreading disinformation. As it happens in every country the antagonists of a rising industrialist use the media to spew their venom. To certify his rights Bill had to define his sales code.
In the preliminary hearings there was a hint of anxiety and fear in the replies of Bill Gates. Several times he said ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I am not sure’. That was a difficult period. Even the technical experts on several matters revealed their ignorance. Though the e-mails sent and received by the Bill, the lawyers tried to refute the ignorance claim. Later, Bill charged that his words had been deliberately distorted with foul intentions. About his conduct and the way of functioning Bill stated it had been made to appear inappropriate with malicious intent. But inspite of that plea the judge observed that Bill Gates was guilty of Restrictive Trade Practice to establish his Monopoly in contravention of ‘Sherman Act’.
An executive said about the management related conduct of Bill that he used to meet his senior managers and program managers quite often. In the meets Bill used to be in aggresive mood like a mother hen adopts to protect her brood. Microsoft and its future plans and aspirations were his brood. While formulating the policies of the company he kept extra care to see to it that its future interests were not compromised. Bill wouldn’t mind if some employee needed to be yelled at. After achieving the goal Bill would again become friendly and cool. When some subordinate tried to make excuses or put off work Bill would not mind treating him to a sharp taunt or rebuke. He would only do it with workers who were known shirk work and were notorious for sloppiness.
The main and primary job of Bill was management and executive duties. In the case of programming language Bill Gates worked on it for many years even after the setting up of Microsoft. During that period all the programming language products were prepared by Bill. He was not officially working with the development group
when TRS 80 model was in process. But in 1989 the task of implementing code in the company was executed by Bill himself. By June 15, 2006 he gave clear hints of his intention to limit his role in day to day business of the company in text two years and devote more time to public service works and the deeds of charity.
‘Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’ was carrying on the task of charity operations and projects of social concerns plus humanitarian programmes. He had made up his mind to delegate his personal responsibilities in Microsoft to his senior associates, Ray Ozi in respect of day to day works and to Craig Mundai who is chief to the long term products undertaking. Before taking full retirement Bill wants to conclude ‘Robotics Software’ project that he had already committed himself to. Bill gives great importance to that project as whole world is getting excited about the humanoid robots and its possibilities. If Microsoft comes up with a software that could make the human dream of having intelligent and active robot like a living creature then no rival would be able to challenge its supremacy. The unlimited energy of Bill might just pull it off.
The founding of Microsoft was a turning point in the life of Bill Gates. Starting an endeavour based merely on one’s faith in oneself and speculative possibilities is never easy. But all his visions came true and his dream was realised in Microsoft, the world’s premier outfit.
The sum up of this chapter is as the following :
❑ DOS was the primary product that catapulted the Microsoft to the height it reached, on top of the world.
❑ The decision of Bill Gates not to surrender entire rights of its products to a single consumer company proved vital. He never yielded the right over its product to any company to sell it to any other buyer. A hardware producer could use Microsoft software only in its own products.
❑ In USA to control the monopoly manipulation through restrictive trade practices, the ‘Sherman Act’ was introduced. Bill Gates faced challenge under that Act. He was accused of using restrictive trade practice for retaining the copyright of a product even after its sale to others.
❑ Bill Gates argued that his dealing was in accordance with the CopyRight Act and not under ‘Sherman Act’! Initially Bill Gates lost ground in the litigation but later he largely recovered the ground and was able to seal legal loopholes.
❑ In respect of the deal with IBM about the use and copyright of 86-DOS it proved historic for Microsoft which took it to the new heights of success.
❑ Bill Gates kept policy framing and management firmly in his own hands. From 1975 to 2006 Microsoft came up with severeal revolutionising software products that almost reduced the hardware producing companies to the status of merely being the subsidiaries of Microsoft. Bill Gates worked hard to diversify and upgrade his software products through farsighted policies for each product and its manufacture and implemented those policies as personal missions.
❑ Bill Gates never sacrificed the long term interests of the Microsoft for quick buck making of temporary kind however tempting or rewarding. Bill has special talent in upgrading his products and introducing them to the market as improved versions.
❑ During this growth period Bill Gates had to work hard and get dragged into frivolous litigations but he earned fortunes through his farsightedness and the decisions taken with long term aims. This period was crucial for Bill when for him Microsoft was the synonym of the world.
He married at the age of 39. Till then he had been going steady with Microsoft and flirting with new ideas.
