TOP TECH COMPANIES TO EMERGE FROM SILICON VALLEY
TOP TECH COMPANIES TO EMERGE FROM SILICON VALLEY
Dec 11, 2018 9:00:00 AM
by Rich Goldman
Cruising through San Francisco Bay, you're in close proximity to a place that changed the world.
Silicon Valley is the given name for a section of the southern San Francisco Bay Area. The word silicon originated from the silicon chip makers in the area. Currently, it is home to the world's powerhouse technology companies, many of which have their original roots in the Valley. It took about 100 years for Silicon Valley to morph into the indomitable force that it is today.
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Let's take a look at some of the top tech companies to emerge from this singular area of San Francisco:
Hewlett-Packard
This company was founded three-quarters of a century ago by William Hewlett and Dave Packard. In 2015, it was split into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprises, each with a different focus. You are likely more familiar with HP Inc., as it sells billions of dollars worth of laptops, desktops, and printers. HP Inc. has also gotten into the 3D printing industry. HP Inc., currently has dozens of offices around the world but its main headquarters is in Palo Alto, California.
Yahoo!
If you are over the age of 30, then you probably remember the early days of Yahoo!, when it was one of the few available search engines. (If you think back really hard, you might even remember their catchy commercial jingle.) Since its early days as humble page started by university students, Yahoo! has grown into a behemoth, recently becoming a part of an even larger behemoth - Oath - a Verizon company. If you're a fan of fantasy sports, you probably are well-acquainted with Yahoo!, as it continues to host fantasy leagues for football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.
Apple
Famously founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Apple is currently over 42 years old. The two Steves originally bonded over their love of pranks...and technology. Wozniak actually created the first modern-day version of a computer, with an input that looked like a typewriter and a television screen to show the output. Little did he know how this would change the course of technology around the world! Today, Apple, of course, is famous for its "i-everything", with the iPhone available as the ultimate communication and entertainment device in a countless number of people's pockets.
eBay
Back in 1995, eBay was founded in the living room of Pierre Omidyar. Unlike many of Silicon Valley's original technology businesses, eBay has kept true to its founding goal; for eBay, that mission was to be a marketplace for individuals. The company became an astonishingly successful "person-to-person" trade platform once it solidified its business model in 1998. Fun fact: the first item Pierre Omidyar sold on his website was a broken laser pointer. The company expanded beyond its auction model with the "Buy It Now" feature in the year 2000.
It's difficult to believe that this company was founded as recently as 1998, as Google now dominates the technology world as a sort of supreme power. Few people realize that Google was originally named "Backrub" - that name was quickly changed. One of the original mottos of the company was "Don't Be Evil" - the company has always been known for its sense of fun and innovation. Like the other tech companies on our list, Google grew into a worldwide presence, with its products like Android, YouTube, and its famous search engine, it is truly omnipresent.
An astounding number of people and businesses now have Facebook pages, including us. Facebook came to Silicon Valley in 2004, once Mark Zuckerberg decided to move his expanding business to the hub of technology activity. Facebook has experienced publicity of all sorts but maintains its position as the primary social networking site for many technology users.
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