Microsoft, International Business Machines (IBM), Apple, Intel, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Google are the names that come to mind when people think about the biggest tech companies in the world and in the US. They also impress everyone and investors with their huge profits. In 2011, Microsoft tops the list of US’s most profitable tech companies thanks to its 2010 profit of $18.8 billion and great successes last year.
Thanks to Windows 7, Microsoft earned more than any other tech heavyweight, even more than high-flying Apple. The company has sold 240 million copies of its operating system since its release in late 2009.
2010 profit: $18.8 billion
International Business Machines (IBM)
Last year, profits from International Business Machines (IBM) raised 10% after its recovery from the recession. Besides, more companies used IBM to handle customer service processes and other tasks. CEO Sam Palmisano now aims at investing heavily in cloud computing and analytics software.
2010 profit: $14.8 billion
2010 was considered as the year of Apple because this company hit the market with three notable products including the iPhone, the iPad and the App Store. In the last quarter of 2010, Apple even made record sales and profits after its exploded sale of iPhone with 1.7 million units.
2010 profit: $14.0 billion
Intel
An exploding market for microprocessors used in cloud computing servers led to a 162% jump in Intel's earnings though the company was late to get into tablets. In addition, its chips strengthen many of the games and tasks used on tablets.
2010 profit: $11.5 billion
Hewlett-Packard (HP)
The love scandal of CEO Mark Hurd couldn’t stop HP making $8.8 billion profit last year. Profits increased 14% as corporate customers spent more on its enterprise storage and server services. Furthermore, the company saw a drop in PC sales to customers.
2010 profit: $8.8 billion
One of Google’s brightest new markets is display ads that accounted for 13% of the entire display ad market and rose 30% in 2010. However, the giant expects to show that it might have a future less dependent on searching advertising to drive earnings.
2010 profit: $8.5 billion
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems is regarded as one of the world’s biggest tech corporations, whose profit was $7.8 billion last year. As of 2010, the company had more than 70,714 employees and annual revenue of $40.0 billion. Its future seems to be very bright.
2010 profit: $7.8 billion
Microsoft: US’s Most Profitable Tech Companies
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Companies and Tech Products Changing The World
Most Profitable Tech Companies in America