Source: Bill Gates
Published: May 1995

The Internet Tidal Wave

Circulated: February 20, 2020

25 years ago, Bill Gates sent a 9-page memo to the Executive Staff at Microsoft about the Internet.

Highlights:

• I have gone through several stages of increasing my views of the Internet’s importance. Now I assign the Internet the highest level of importance; the Internet is crucial to every part of our business.

• The Internet is the most important single development to come along since the IBM PC was introduced in 1981.

• I think that virtually every PC will be used to connect to the Internet.

• The amount of free information available today on the Internet is quite amazing.

• The Internet is a tidal wave. It changes the rules. It is an incredible opportunity as well as an incredible challenge.

• I encourage everyone on the executive staff and their direct reports to use the Internet.