Muna 1980 vakatanga kambani yavo yekutanga, inonzi Traf-O-Data, iyo yakatengesa kombiyuta yepakutanga yekutsvaga uye kuongorora motokari yemotokari. Apo Gates akanyoresa kuHarvard, Allen akatevera dhigirii mumakombiyuta yesayenzi paWashington State University, kunyange zvazvo akazobuda chikoro kuti ashande paHoneywell. Nyaya yaJanuary 1975 ye Popular Electronics yakaratidza Micro Instrumentation uye Telemetry Systems (MITS) Altair 8800 microcomputer, iyo yakafuridzira Allen kuti ataure kuti vanogona kuronga shanduro ye BASIC yechirongwa. Mushure mekunge kudanwa kubva kuGates vachiti vane shanduro inoshanda, MITS yakakumbira kuratidzwa. Sezvo vakanga vasati vawana imwe, Allen akashanda pane simulator yeAltair simulator apo Gates akavandudza uye akaongorora motokari yemotokari.
Microsoft