Microsoft Project is a project management software that helps plan, assign resources, track progress, manage budgets, and analyze workloads for projects. It was first released in 1984 and acquired by Microsoft in 1985. The latest version is Microsoft Project 2013. It allows users to create project schedules and budgets, assign resources to tasks, track progress, and keep project teams aligned to complete projects on time and on budget. Microsoft Project provides robust management tools to help users efficiently and effectively manage all aspects of a project throughout its life cycle from planning to closing.