Microsoft introduced Visual Basic, Scripting Edition - commonly known as VBScript in the mid-90's, making it as a native replacement for Window's aging command-line batch language, which was based on Microsoft's earliest operating system, MS-DOS. The language was included as an add-on to Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95. In windows 98 VBScript was an optional installation component and was included in all editions of Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003. VBScript is also inbuilt in Windows 7.
When Windows 2000 and Active Directory came along, Active Directory enabled the use of VBScript for logon and logoff scripts which Administrator took advantage to integrate into their system which was very useful for advanced use environment manipulation.
Powershell is another alternative for VBScript, Powershell is inbuilt in Windows 7 but can be added as plugin on other Windows O/S.