You have probably heard of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft, but what are they? What’s so great about them? How do they compare to the companies we use every day? If you’re a business owner, you’re probably wondering the same thing. After all, these companies have been around for decades and are often the ones we turn to for the latest technology. But do you know which one is the best?
As part of Alphabet, Google is one of the most powerful tech giants. It has a monopoly on cloud computing, smartphones, and e-commerce, and is also a leader in live-streaming and artificial intelligence-based smart speakers. Google has accumulated more than 240 acquisitions in the past two decades. Its corporate code of conduct is “Don’t be evil.”
Apple
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world, generating massive revenue margins from its products. It also enjoys a strong fan base in China, contributing over a fifth of the company’s revenue in the country. However, the company is disproportionately reliant on physical products, as its business is primarily based on Mac devices. Despite this, the company is still doing reasonably well in the Chinese market.
Among the global tech giants, Facebook is the most powerful. Its revenue is greater than Starbucks’. But Facebook’s challenges aren’t limited to profits. In a world where consumers increasingly rely on the internet, Facebook’s apps need to work on a variety of platforms to continue to grow. As a result, Facebook is working to diversify away from its reliance on mobile devices. But how can it do that?
Amazon
The list of the top tech companies includes Apple, Google, and Amazon. With a market cap of over $1.5 trillion, these tech giants are more valuable than many countries. In fact, they are larger than the GDP of Brazil, Russia, and South Korea combined. For example, in 2017, Amazon was the market leader in cloud computing, e-commerce, and live-streaming. In 2017, Amazon also had a dominant position in artificial intelligence-based smart speakers and live-streaming. Combined, they have a market cap of more than $1.7 trillion, or 92% of the GDP of several countries.
Tencent
Tencent is a Chinese company that operates a number of popular online services and is among the world’s biggest gaming companies. The company’s expansion into new business sectors has allowed it to expand its reach beyond its gaming roots. It currently holds 40 per cent of the market for China’s mobile payments. This is a sizeable market, but it’s far smaller than its rival Alipay, which has 53 per cent of the market. Analysts believe that Tencent’s mobile payments business has more potential to grow.
Hitachi
The latest acquisition by a Japanese tech giant has been GlobalLogic. The Japanese company, which is well known for its TV sets, batteries and video recorders, is a technology firm focused on building digital infrastructure. Hitachi will use GlobalLogic’s engineering expertise to accelerate the development of Lumada advanced digital solutions. The acquisition of GlobalLogic is expected to add more than $7.2 billion to the company’s total revenue by March 2021.
Intel
TSMC is one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. Founded in 1987, it is now owned by a number of foreign investors. Cisco Systems, Inc., based in San Jose, California, is one of the top technology companies in the world. Its products focus on niche tech markets including the Internet of Things, energy management, and domain security. Xiaomi Corporation, a major electronics company founded in April 2010, makes consumer electronics and tech products.