What you need to know
- TIME just unveiled its first-ever TIME100 Most Influential Companies list.
- Microsoft scored a spot.
- The tech giant is listed under the "titans" category of the list.
In case you weren't aware, Microsoft is influential. TIME has decided to make that statement official by including the company on its very first TIME100 Most Influential Companies list. This 2021 roundup of the most influential companies includes many different categories designed to specify how a company was influential, and Microsoft falls within the "titans" group.
Microsoft shares its titan status on the list with other noteworthy companies, including Disney, Facebook, and Google. As to why Microsoft was included, TIME deputy editor Eben Shapiro wrote that the company's influence stemmed from its portfolio's pandemic-optimized lineup, which resulted in a year of massive stock gains, growth in the gaming sector, and all the other types of big gets that lead to a company being named among the 100 most influential of 2021.
Though there is mention of Microsoft's augmented-reality ambitions in the TIME blurb, it's worth noting that Microsoft's most recent massive contract with the U.S. Army isn't mentioned. Given how much influence is required for such a deal to happen, as well as how much is gained as a result, it's an interesting omission. Time will tell how Microsoft's soon-to-be-built 120,000-plus military mixed reality headsets influence the world thanks to the U.S. Army.
Beyond Army contracts, though, it's still no surprise that Microsoft is on TIME's list. It's a company that's been crushing it with major acquisitions, the endless expansion of Xbox Game Pass, and lots of growth in virtually all of its sectors thanks to the pandemic making MS products such as Microsoft Teams necessities.
In conclusion: Microsoft now shares a spot on a list alongside other famous companies, including OnlyFans and Twitter. We'll follow up next year to see if Microsoft retains its spot in the top 100. The odds are good that it will, given the state of the neverending pandemic.
