$Adobe (ADBE.US)$ When it comes to design work, it seems impossible to avoid Adobe's suite of software. However, the main software used by designers, developers, data scientists, and salespeople at Microsoft is quietly changing, with tens of thousands having switched to Figma. Speaking of which, Figma isn't exactly new; it was founded in 2012 and now has 800 employees, with projected revenue of 0.4 billion dollars this year. In 2016, Figma launched its cloud-based design software, and its current competitors are Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and XD.
Regarding Microsoft's employees starting to use Figma, it all began with the acquisition of Xamarin, during which Microsoft absorbed 350 of its employees, who became the early core users of Figma within Microsoft, gaining more popularity over time.
According to Microsoft's vice president Jon Friedman, Figma is like air and water to us; it has become our primary tool for communicating with the design Community. However, he also admits that the company still uses Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and XD.
It is reported that Microsoft alone contributes millions of dollars in software fees to Figma each year, and other clients of the latter include Google, Oracle, Salesforce, Airbnb, Dropbox, Herman Miller, and others.