5 Major Brands You Might Not Realize Are Owned By Microsoft

April 7, 2026 - 14:19

While Microsoft is synonymous with Windows and Office, its corporate umbrella shelters a diverse array of major brands that touch various aspects of the digital world. Many users interact with these services daily without realizing their connection to the tech giant.

The professional networking behemoth, LinkedIn, operates as a Microsoft subsidiary, deeply integrating with the company's enterprise and cloud services. Similarly, the essential platform for developers, GitHub, is a cornerstone of Microsoft's outreach to the software community.

On the consumer side, the popular keyboard app SwiftKey, which uses AI for predictive typing, is also a Microsoft product. In the gaming sphere, the revered franchises of "Minecraft" and "The Elder Scrolls" (through developer Bethesda) fall under the Xbox Game Studios banner. This collection highlights Microsoft's strategic expansion far beyond its operating system roots, embedding its technology into professional networks, development tools, everyday apps, and blockbuster entertainment.