Forethought, Inc.

Forethought,_Inc._logo

Forethought, Inc. was a software development company best known for its creation of PowerPoint, a presentation program that became a significant part of the Microsoft Office suite. The company was founded in 1983 by Rob Campbell and Taylor Pohlman.

History

Forethought, Inc. was established in 1983 in Sunnyvale, California. The company initially focused on developing software for the Apple Macintosh platform. One of their early products was a file management program called FileMaker, which was later sold to Claris, a subsidiary of Apple Inc..

In 1984, Forethought hired Robert Gaskins, who conceived the idea for a presentation software program. This idea led to the development of PowerPoint, which was initially released for the Apple Macintosh in 1987. PowerPoint quickly gained popularity due to its user-friendly interface and powerful features for creating professional presentations.

Acquisition by Microsoft

In 1987, shortly after the release of PowerPoint, Microsoft acquired Forethought, Inc. for $14 million. This acquisition allowed Microsoft to integrate PowerPoint into its Microsoft Office suite, significantly enhancing the suite's functionality and contributing to its widespread adoption in business and educational settings.

Legacy

The acquisition of Forethought, Inc. and the integration of PowerPoint into Microsoft Office played a crucial role in establishing Microsoft as a dominant player in the software industry. PowerPoint remains one of the most widely used presentation programs in the world, and its development marked a significant milestone in the history of software development.

See also

• Microsoft Office
• PowerPoint
• Apple Macintosh
• FileMaker
• Microsoft