Editing Microsoft Corporation (section)

=== Financial Performance: A Year of Dominance   ===
Microsoft’s 2020 financial results underscored its market leadership. Revenue soared to $143 billion, a 14% increase from the previous year, while operating income reached $53 billion and operating cash flow exceeded $60 billion<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-earnings |quote=Microsoft's 2020 annual revenues were $143 billion. }}</ref>. The commercial cloud segment was a standout performer, generating over $50 billion in revenue—a 36% year-on-year increase<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar20/index.html |quote=Microsoft's commercial cloud surpassed $50 billion in revenue in 2020, up 36% year-over-year. }}</ref>. Azure, the company’s flagship cloud platform, played a pivotal role, with 95% of Fortune 500 companies leveraging its services. Azure’s global footprint expanded to 61 datacenter regions, the largest of any provider, solidifying Microsoft’s competitive edge in cloud computing<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar20/index.html |quote=Microsoft's Azure is used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies and operates across 61 datacenter regions. }}</ref>. The Productivity and Business Processes segment, anchored by Office 365, also saw substantial growth, driven by the surge in remote work solutions. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Cloud segment contributed significantly to overall profitability. Microsoft’s financial health was further evidenced by its return of $35 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar20/index.html |quote=Microsoft returned $35 billion to shareholders in 2020 through share repurchases and dividends. }}</ref>. The company’s commitment to sustainability—aiming to be carbon negative, zero waste, and water positive by 2030—highlighted its forward-thinking approach<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar20/index.html |quote=Microsoft aims to be carbon negative, zero waste, and water positive by 2030. }}</ref>. Initiatives like AI for Health demonstrated Microsoft’s ability to address global challenges, including COVID-19 research.