In late 1997 Sanjay Parthasarathy introduced the concept of Internet dial-tone to the site, the idea that a simple, effective site that runs quickly and predictably is better than a fancy one that crashes frequently or angers customers...
Toolbar 1.0 implemented to yield a consistent site appearance and easy navigation to core site features from anywhere on microsoft.com - deployed site-wide.

Toolbar 2.0 offers both a global and local navigation scheme, consistent branding, Ad banner space, and smaller byte count.

Home Page 8 loads 58 percent faster due to a redesign that leverages multithreading and caching

June 1999 Product Catalog: Putting SQL Server 7.0 and XML to Work in a Three-Tier Solution

Download Center, launched in late June 1999 offering a new search and delivery system for finding downloadable software, demos, and updates across Microsoft's distributed Web sites and product groups.

July 1999 launch PubWiz 6.5. It allows our webmasters to publish files on demand while enforcing business rules that ensure our site's performance stays high.

October 1999 launch of phase one of microsoft.com's second-generation search engine, which introduced an array of new features both to the user interface and the backend

RegSys ships in January 2000 features an enhanced user interface, as well as a wizard programming interface that lets ICPs design, build, and prop their own wizards using a standard data library.

February 2000 - Upgrading 350-plus servers to Windows 2000 in less than a month

 

Home Page 5 redesigned to take advantage of the new features of Internet Explorer 3.0 featuring a more sophisticated layout and interactive effects such as links that lit up when moused over.
June 6, 1996 - First microsoft.com usability test