SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft, moving to solidify its dominant position in the market for software for the popular Apple Macintosh personal computer, on Thursday acquired Forethought Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., for $14 million.
The acquisition is the largest in Microsoft's 12-year history. Forethought developed and markets PowerPoint, a program in the rapidly emerging area of "desktop presentations." The program allows Macintosh users to create slides, transparencies and flip charts for use in presentations.
Forethought is also the exclusive distributor for Filemaker Plus, the top-selling Macintosh database program. Database software is used to arrange lists and other files. Microsoft said it is "completing ongoing discussions" with the developers of Filemaker to transfer exclusive marketing rights to Microsoft.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., recently unseated Lotus Development as the world's largest producer of software for personal computers. Microsoft has prospered by selling the operating system for IBM personal computers and compatible machines.
