World's Top 20 Software Companies

#2 IBM

Software Revenue: $22,485 mn

Software Revenue Growth: 5.1 percent

IBM, the multi-national computer, technology and IT-consultancy company, has a software revenue of $22,485 million (as of 2011), which is around 22.5 percent of the total revenue of the company ($99,870 million). Headquartered in Armonk, New York, the company was founded by Herman Hollerith in 1896; the name IBM was given to it only later. The company produces both software and hardware products and offers services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. As of now, IBM is the largest IT services company and the second largest software company in the world. The company received the most United States patents in the year 2009 for up to seventeen consecutive years. The major products of the company are Websphere, DB2, Lotus, Tivoli and Cognos.

#3 Oracle

Software Revenue: $20,958 mn

Software Revenue Growth: 12.8 percent

The multi-national computer technology corporation, Oracle, has appeared on the Global Software Top 100 list at the third position with a software revenue exceeding $20,000 million. It is 69.4 percent of the total revenue of the company ($30, 180) as of 2011. Oracle develops enterprise software products and particularly database management systems. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, United States, the company employs more than 73,201 people worldwide as of 2009 statistics, Larry Ellison being its Chief Executive Officer. The corporation has enlarged its share of the software market through organic growth and through numerous high-profile acquisitions, which includes People Soft and BEA Systems. The company is hailed as the third largest software company in the United States and in the world; and it is also the second largest enterprise software company in the world.