Jeff Raikes, the man who made Office

Bill Gates was a brash young entrepreneur with about 100 employees when Jeff Raikes joined Microsoft in 1981 to make business software that regular people could use--software that eventually became Office. Raikes, now CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tells his story in two parts in Channel 9's series on the History of Microsoft. Here's part one:

And part two:

Ten years ago when I was new here and Jeff was President of the entire Business Division, he was my boss' boss' boss' boss' boss' boss, give or take a rung or two. But with Nebraskan farm roots his down-home quality put people at ease. Whenever my colleagues and I ran into him at work or in Seattle, it was easy to imagine swapping family snapshots with him over beer and pizza. And listening to him, it was easy to get inspired.

Jeff's long-term vision is the reason that Office exists. Enjoy his stories for yourself, with tales of Microsoft and Apple and PC prototypes back in the days when Bill Gates was redefining "geek." Get the grassroots view of how Office, the largest and most successful productivity suite in the world, grew from an idea.

--Holly Thomas

Find free information about Office at Office.com