Windows NT 3.1 is a 32-bit operating system developed by Microsoft. It constitutes the first operating system of the Windows NT family and was released on July 27, 1993. Although it is the first version in the NT line, the name was chosen as a brand extension of the similar Windows 3.1. The operating system's success on the market was only limited, mostly due to the high system requirements for its time and the lack of 32-bit applications which used the capabilities of Windows NT 3.1. Nevertheless, the operating system laid the foundation for all future releases of the Windows NT line.