The software industry is massive, generating over $300 billion in annual revenue. It’s also one of the fastest-growing industries in the world today, with new software companies sprouting up every day to tackle new challenges and opportunities. But with so many players in the game, it can be difficult for an outsider to understand exactly how this market operates and which companies stand out as leaders in their field. Arguably, the most important characteristic of any company is its market capitalization — i.e., how much value does the marketplace place on its stock? The below article presents a list of the top 10 largest software companies by market cap, along with a brief overview of what each company does and its key competitors.
Oracle Corporation
Headquarters: California, United States
Website: www.oracle.com
Major Products & Services: Database software and hardware, business analytics, artificial intelligence solutions, cloud computing services
Employee Count: 97,000
Oracle Corporation is a multinational computer technology company specializing in business intelligence and database products and services. The company has a market cap of $155 billion. Oracle has been in business for over four decades and has a strong presence in the financial, healthcare, retail, and hospitality sectors. It is best known for its database software and hardware, which is used by millions of organizations worldwide.
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Headquarters: California, United States
Website: www.adobe.com
Major Products & Services: Creative software for designing and publishing content, marketing, and IT solutions
Employee Count: 27,000
Founded in 1982, Adobe is a software and services company that has become a global leader in the creative sector. The company has a market cap of $90 billion. Adobe’s software solutions have become essential tools for creative and marketing professionals around the world. Adobe’s products include tools for web design, video editing and production, graphic design, and digital photo editing.
SAP SE
Headquarters: Germany
Website: www.sap.com
Major Products & Services: Business software solutions, cloud computing services
Employee Count: 95,000
Founded in 1972, SAP is one of the world’s leading providers of business software solutions and cloud computing services. The company has a market cap of $116 billion. The core product offerings of SAP include business planning software, financial management, customer relationship management, and supply chain management solutions. SAP’s systems run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Alphabet (Google)
Headquarters: California, United States
Website: www.google.com
Major Products & Services: Internet search and advertising, enterprise software solutions, cloud computing services
Employee Count: 89,000
Founded in 1998 by Stanford University Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is a global leader in online search and advertising. The company has a market cap of $750 billion. Google’s core business is the provision of online search services, with Google Search being the most widely used online search engine in the world. Google also offers access to a wide variety of services, including email, cloud computing, mobile phone software, and a range of social media networks. Google’s business model focuses on internet-related services, including search, cloud computing, software development, and online advertising technologies. Google’s most popular product is its search engine, followed by its web-based email service, Google Docs, and Google Maps. The company also owns YouTube, which is now the world’s most popular video streaming service. Google has offices in more than 40 countries and employs over 88,000 people globally. Some of Google’s customers include AT&T, GE, General Motors, Toyota, Comcast, and Verizon. The company’s total revenue for the fiscal year ending December 2018 was USD 146.9 billion, an increase of 16% from the previous year. In the same period, Google’s net income was USD 32.9 billion, a 16% increase from the previous year.
IBM
Headquarters: New York, United States
Website: www.ibm.com
Major Products & Services: Software solutions for analytics, security, blockchain, and cloud computing services
Employee Count: 381,000
Founded in 1911, IBM is one of the world’s leading providers of cloud computing services and enterprise software solutions. The company has a market cap of $112 billion. Over the last century, IBM has become a household name for its pioneering work in the fields of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. IBM’s software solutions have become essential tools for businesses around the world.
Intel Corp
Headquarters: California, United States
Website: www.intel.com
Major Products & Services: Chip manufacturing and design, IoT solutions, cloud computing services
Employee Count: 107,000
Founded in 1968, Intel is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and design. The company has a market cap of $168 billion. Intel designs and manufactures microprocessors, the central processing units (CPUs) that serve as the brains of computers and other devices. The company’s chips have been used in a wide range of products, including computers, servers, smartphones, and IoT devices. The company also produces computer software and tools for software developers. Intel has offices in more than 90 countries and employs over 100,000 people globally. Some of Intel’s customers include Apple, AT&T, Cisco, Dell, HP Inc., Huawei, IBM, Microsoft, and more. The company’s total revenue for the fiscal year ending December 2018 was USD 73.5 billion, a decrease of 2% from the previous year. In the same period, Intel’s net income was USD 14.5 billion, a decrease of 6% from the previous year.
Facebook Inc
Headquarters: California, United States
Website: www.facebook.com
Major Products & Services: Social media networks
Employee Count: 25,000
Founded in 2004, Facebook is a social media network that ranks among the most widely used websites in the world. The company has a market cap of $395 billion. Facebook is the most popular social networking website in the world, with over 2 billion active users per month. Although the original purpose of Facebook was to facilitate communication and social interaction between individuals, the site has grown into a major source of news and information for many people around the world.
Microsoft Corporation
Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, USA
Website: microsoft.com
Major Products & Services: Operating system, productivity software, enterprise software
Microsoft is one of the world’s largest providers of software products and services. Microsoft rose to prominence in the 1980s with the development of the MS-DOS and Windows operating systems. The company is also one of the world’s largest providers of enterprise software solutions, as well as developer tools and other programming languages. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is an American multinational software company that is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. It’s the world’s largest software company by revenue, with a current market cap of USD 857 billion. Microsoft’s business model focuses on developing and selling computer software and services, as well as offering a variety of hardware products such as Xbox consoles, Microsoft Surface laptops, and Microsoft HoloLens. The company’s software products range from productivity tools such as Microsoft Office to gaming software such as the Xbox game consoles. Microsoft has offices in more than 100 countries and employs over 100,000 people globally. Some of Microsoft’s customers include AT&T, Verizon, Cisco, the New York Stock Exchange, the U.S. Department of Defense, American Express, and more. The company’s total revenue for the fiscal year ending September 2018 was USD 99.9 billion, an increase of 16% from the previous year. In the same period, Microsoft’s net income was USD 29.9 billion, an increase of 22% from the previous year.
Amazon.com Inc
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
Website: amazon.com
Amazon is an American e-commerce company that was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos. Amazon is one of the world’s leading online retailers and cloud computing service providers. The company has a market cap of $872 billion. Amazon’s core business is e-commerce, providing end users with access to an extensive selection of products through its online marketplace. Amazon’s services are available in more than 190 countries, and the company’s marketplace is accessible to millions of customers worldwide. It is the largest online retailer in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company has grown to become one of the largest software companies in the world, with a current market cap of USD 875 billion. The company offers a wide variety of products, including groceries and other food items, clothing, electronic tools, books, and much more. Amazon’s most popular product is its Kindle E-book reader, followed by its Amazon Prime subscription service. The company also owns a publishing business called Amazon Publishing, which currently has more than 50 active books on its roster. Amazon has also ventured into the digital services realm, offering a wide range of different business solutions, including web hosting, server management, and the development of digital tools. Amazon has offices in more than 20 countries and employs over 575,000 people worldwide.
Cisco
Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
Website: cisco.com
Founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Cisco is one of the top software companies in the world today. The company is best known for its networking hardware and related services. Cisco’s networking equipment is now a standard in data centers around the world, including servers, routers, switches, network management tools, and security appliances. Cisco also produces IP phones for VoIP networks, network management tools for IT departments and various IoT devices for smart offices and smart cities. The top software company in the world today, Cisco’s market value is $163 billion.
Conclusion
Software is a vast and growing industry. The above article presents a list of the top 10 largest software companies by market cap, along with a brief overview of what each company does and its key competitors. It’s important to note that this is a dynamic and highly competitive industry, so it’s likely that new players will rise to prominence in the years to come.