An IBM representative approached us about our desktop product, suggesting it could enhance their server sales, leading to a partnership.

We believe there's a significant opportunity to outperform IBM in the server market, particularly with our Exadata systems, as we have already surpassed them in software and database solutions.

We engaged with hardware vendors like IBM and HP, trying to convince them to partner with us, despite initial resistance.

We negotiated a non-exclusive deal with IBM for the operating system, allowing us to license it to others, which was crucial for our growth.

After IBM divorced us in 1990, we realized we needed to figure out how to build our own enterprise sales strategy, which was not Bill Gates' passion area.

At the time of my 'developers' speech, we were facing competition from Linux and needed to reinforce our platform with third-party support.

IBM, which invented virtualization in the 1960s, had x86 servers that were struggling to sell due to a lack of demand for large workloads.

During my tenure, I prioritized establishing strong relationships with IT departments, which was essential for Microsoft's enterprise success.

By the mid to late 80s, we still felt overshadowed by IBM, which was the dominant force in the computing industry at that time.