(NASDAQ: MSFT) built itself into a tech behemoth over the years, becoming a dominant player in several categories of office and personal software. The company produces the industry standard for productivity software with its Office programs and retains a decade-long 70%-plus market share in operating systems with Windows. Microsoft's Azure is the second-largest cloud platform in the world by market share at 23%, trailing only Amazon Web Services' 32% share. Given this strong showing elsewhere, it's not a surprise that the company's software expertise gives it an edge in artificial intelligence (AI).

Microsoft share prices are up 41% since Jan. 1 almost entirely on news of its latest efforts to grow its AI-related offerings. The tech giant's prospects in the burgeoning industry make now an excellent time to learn more about the company and potentially invest in its stock.

Here are three things about Microsoft that smart investors know. 

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Source Fool.com