The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5) - world best known software companies

world best known software companies

I'm looking for a list of worlds best known software companies. As a criteria a company has to be very well known to people outside professional computer world and ship at least one shrink-wrap software product.

So far:
1. MS
2. Oracle
3. Adobe
4. Symantec
5. Mirabilis (ICQ)
6. IBM
7. Sun Microsystems

I don't know whatever I can put Google and its search into products category, but being extremely scalable its more of a product than a service. Companies with product development units presence in UK, Sweden or Finland are most welcome.

Vlad Gudim
Monday, April 19, 2004

I would remove Mirabilis. Having to quantify it with (ICQ) should be a big indicator that no one knows who they are. AOL would be a good replacement. Also, AOL purchased Mirabilis anyway.

MR
Monday, April 19, 2004

After you are done with the generic office app type companies, your list will depend on the industry of the source audience.

Some companies, extremely well known in certain industries will draw a blank stare everywhere else.

Others are well known products that are of dubious parentage having been through way to many parents for anyone to remember or care. (WordPerfect? Lotus? )

Tapiwa
Monday, April 19, 2004

MR, and more people know about Norton than they do about Symantec.

Tapiwa
Monday, April 19, 2004

I'm surprised you've got Mirabilis on there. I bet most ICQ users wouldn't be able to tell you the company responsible for the software. Also, what shrink-wrapped software does Oracle ship?

John Topley (www.johntopley.com)
Monday, April 19, 2004

I would say:

Microsoft
IBM
Kazaa (the downloader) this is the only program that people take an effort to learn how it works.

Oracle is maybe only for business users known. I only knew the name when I started with Win32 comps but not what they did.

Real Player
Apple
Winzip
Electronics Arts
The makers of DOOM, Unreal and other populair games

I'm thinking like a home computer user not a business user.
As a business user may know peoplesoft or vmware but home users never heard of it.

nobody
Monday, April 19, 2004

And the reason behind my interest is - I suppose I'd enjoyed myself much more working for a product developing company...

John, Oracle ships DB and whole bunch of application servers.

Vlad Gudim
Monday, April 19, 2004

A consumer (the average one) would probably only list Microsoft, and maybe a few of the game companies.

apw
Monday, April 19, 2004

Autodesk, mainly because of Autocad.

Andres
Monday, April 19, 2004

"John, Oracle ships DB and whole bunch of application servers."

I think he was referring more from a consumer perspective (i.e. what I can buy at Best Buy). Oracle is entirely targeting developers and IT, and have nothing targeting end users/consumers. As such if end users know about them it's likely only from buying shares in that company during the bubble.

Dennis Forbes
Monday, April 19, 2004

Tapiwa, you live in London, right?

RP
Monday, April 19, 2004

"John, Oracle ships DB and whole bunch of application servers."

Yes, I do know that, Vlad, but in your criteria you said that they had to ship at least one piece of shrink-wrapped software. Good luck with going into PC World and buying a copy of Oracle 9i off the shelf!

John Topley (www.johntopley.com)
Monday, April 19, 2004

Microsoft
IBM
Disney
Sony
Oracle
Nintendo
SAP
Apple
Sun Microsoystems
AOL

Source http://www.businessweek.com/pdfs/2003/0331_globalbrands.pdf
(I left out the harware companies that ship some specialized software Intel, Cisco, HP, Xerox etc.)

Just me (Sir to you)
Monday, April 19, 2004

I would think Macromedia would make the list before Oracle.

I don't believe anyone knows what Oracle does, and even less people know what a DBMS is!

In my view Macromedia should make the list only on merit for never doing anything horrendously wrong!

olsson
Monday, April 19, 2004

John,

well, its not a consumer product, but as a development platform isn't it shrink-wrapped?

We can take it off the consumer list, I don't object.

Vlad Gudim
Monday, April 19, 2004

Anyone seen Google Sets? You type in a list, and it gives you more things which it believes belong in the list. It works amazingly well. Anyway, I typed in your list and got this:

http://labs.google.com/sets?hl=en&q1=microsoft&q2=oracle&q3=adobe&q4=symantec&q5=ibm&btn=Large+Set

Predicted Items
Oracle
IBM
Adobe
Microsoft
Symantec
Hewlett Packard
Intel
Novell
Sun Microsystems
Apple
Netscape
LOTUS
COMPAQ
Corel
Macromedia
Borland
Dell
Silicon Graphics
Cisco
Motorola
Apple Computer
Sun
3Com
Digital
TOSHIBA
Computer Associates
NEC
AT T
Cisco Systems
SONY
HP
SAP
Autodesk
Gateway
Xerox
McAfee
Epson
Sybase
Claris
Linux
Seagate
Fujitsu
Dell Computers
Informix
Creative Labs
Texas Instruments
PC Magazine
Iomega
AMD
Compaq Computers

Keith Wright
Monday, April 19, 2004

SAP probably employs more people than have heard of Mirabilis.

Corel is practically dead, but everyone know about them.

RedHat gets lots of mainstream press, but I doubt the mainstream public pays much attention.

scott
Monday, April 19, 2004

What about Blizzard, EA, 3DO, Ensemble Studios, and PopTop?

Kyralessa
Monday, April 19, 2004

Haven't you posted this thread before? I know someone did.

What are you going to do with this list? Just curious...

grunt
Monday, April 19, 2004

I question the "shrinkwrap" requirement, mostly because Google's on their way to becoming a dictionary entry, which is something not even Microsoft has pulled off.

I also think Oracle is on the fringes - people may have heard of them, but have no idea what they do.

Philo <- using the "has Mrs. Philo heard of them" test

Philo
Monday, April 19, 2004

SAS

SAS.

oh, and SAS.

Matt H.
Monday, April 19, 2004

Computer Associates - http://www.ca.com/

Large software company best known for its "lets buy a profitable software company and stop promoting its products" growth methodology.

RocketJeff
Monday, April 19, 2004

RP, I do live in London. Wierd question...

Tapiwa
Monday, April 19, 2004

Ah yes, CA, where old software goes to die.

RH
Monday, April 19, 2004

Ah yes, CA, currently under investigation for falsely stating revenue... "it is possible that it could result in the institution of administrative, civil injunctive or criminal proceedings, including charges against the Company and other officers of the Company, the imposition of fines and penalties, suspensions or debarments from government contracts, and/or other remedies and sanctions." ( http://www3.ca.com/Press/pressrelease.asp?CID=57832 )

Adam
Monday, April 19, 2004

Napster
Roxio
Musicmatch
McAfee (Network Associates)
Intuit

Monday, April 19, 2004

Isn't it funny how well-known a company like Adaptec or Computer Associates may be to geeks, yet the general population have *never* heard of them?

Philo

Philo
Monday, April 19, 2004

VMware, of course (the most innovate software company in the world and arguably the fastest growing).

VMware employee
Monday, April 19, 2004

Seen a movie lately?

PIXAR

...
Monday, April 19, 2004

Clearly AMI or Pheonix.

.
Monday, April 19, 2004