CP/M, or Control Program for Microcomputers, is an early operating system developed in the 1970s by Gary Kildall. It was designed for microcomputers and became widely used in the early personal computer market. CP/M provided a command-line interface and supported various hardware configurations, making it a versatile choice for software developers. As one of the first operating systems for personal computers, CP/M played a crucial role in the development of software applications. It allowed users to run programs, manage files, and perform tasks efficiently. Its influence can be seen in later operating systems, including MS-DOS, which adopted many of its concepts.