The best business software companies help you to run a more efficient business with less trouble. Businesses can benefit from using a business software company because they will gain information that allows the company to grow and become more efficient. Using a business software company can be beneficial to a business based on what type of system they need based on their business type as well as how it works as a system.
The software industry has been on a long time, but it’s new, exciting and rapidly growing. Business software companies have been around for a very long time, and they have been rapidly growing since the beginning of computer science. Unfortunately, many people see the sales pitch rather than the actual product.
The Software Report is pleased to announce The Top 100 Software Companies of 2021. This year’s awardee list is comprised of a wide range of companies from the most well-known such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Salesforce to the relatively newer but rapidly growing – Qualtrics, Atlassian, and Asana. A good number of awardees may be new names to some but that should be no surprise given software has always been an industry of startups that seemingly came out of nowhere to create and dominate a new space.
Software has become the backbone of our economy. From large enterprises to small businesses, most all rely on software whether for accounting, marketing, sales, supply chain, or a myriad of other functions. Software has become the dominant industry of our time and as such, we place a significance on highlighting the best companies leading the industry forward.
The following awardees were nominated and selected based on a thorough evaluation process. Among the key criteria considered were software product quality, management team caliber, organizational culture and overall company evolution among other factors. In many cases, a company received a remarkable number of nominations from a wide range of its various stakeholders. Please join us in recognizing and celebrating The Top 100 Software Companies of 2021.
1. Microsoft
Category: Business Solutions
Location: Redmond, Washington
Microsoft is the biggest software company in the world. Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. LinkedIn, its business-oriented social network, is used by millions to build professional connections, and Microsoft’s Xbox gaming systems continue to post record sales. Microsoft’s customers range from consumers and small businesses to the world’s biggest companies and government agencies.
In 1975 Bill Gates and Paul Allen, two boyhood friends from Seattle, launched the company in order to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. Microsoft quickly rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Microsoft Windows. In the 1990s, the company began to redefine its offerings and expand its product line into computer networking and the World Wide Web. Eventually Microsoft also moved into cloud computing with the Windows Azure platform. Azure is currently second behind Amazon for cloud services.
In June 2021 the software maker hit a staggering $2 trillion valuation. The milestone came on the heels of the company’s unveiling of Windows 11, its first new version of the flagship operating system in more than five years. The appreciation of the company’s stock price also reflects a rejuvenated company, one that has found substantial growth in cloud computing and through acquisitions.
2. Adobe
Category: Publishing
Location: San Jose, California
As one of the top software providers in the world, tech giant Adobe serves millions of users across the globe. From its humble beginnings in 1982, the company is mostly known these days for its multimedia and creativity software offerings. Popular products include Photoshop, Acrobat Reader, and Creative Cloud.
Originally, Adobe was named after the Adobe Creek in California, which ran behind the houses of the company’s two founders, John Warnock and Charles Geschke. As of 2021, Adobe has more than 23,000 employees worldwide, about 40% of whom work in San Jose, California, where the company maintains its headquarters. On top of that, Adobe has field offices in about 30 countries across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. It also has major development operations in India.
A long-time publisher of traditional software packages, Adobe was instrumental in the creation of the desktop publishing industry. Since then, the company has found tremendous success by adapting to shifts in the market, leading the charge into the cloud and subscription-based business model. Propelled by these digital offerings, its revenue more than doubled between 2015 and 2019. More recently, Adobe achieved record quarterly revenue of $3.91 billion in its first quarter of fiscal year 2021, which represents a 26% year-over-year growth.
3. ServiceNow
Category: Workflow Solutions
Location: Santa Clara, California
With a market capitalization of $108 billion, ServiceNow ranks as the second largest SaaS company in the U.S. Founded in 2004 by Fred Luddy, ServiceNow is a constituent of the Russell 1000 Index and S&P 500 Index and has been recognized as one of the world’s most innovative companies by Forbes.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, ServiceNow is leading the pack when it comes to providing business workflow software. Put simply, the company takes time-consuming processes (typically manual and/or paper-based activities) and then it turns them into simple, streamlined, digital workflows for its customers. ServiceNow serves organizations of all sizes, from local governments to Fortune 500 companies.
In addition, ServiceNow’s software enables the chief information officers at big companies and other organizations to keep track of their assets, such as computers, software licenses, and other IT resources. At the same time, it generates the kind of information that business executives can use and understand; for example, how the cost of operating a sales force in the field compares with the cost of selling products through an online catalog. Among its many recognitions, in 2020, Gartner dubbed ServiceNow an ITSM Magic Quadrant leader for the seventh year in a row.
4. Dropbox
Category: Cloud Storage and Management
Location: San Francisco, California
Since 2008, the San Francisco-based cloud storage and management company Dropbox has set the standard for storing and collaboration of files in the cloud. Initially launched as a niche software startup by MIT students Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, the company attracted more than one million users in its first year alone. After more than a decade of successful refinement of its products and the acquisition of related companies — including, most recently, secure sharing and analytics leader DocSend — Dropbox remains the name to beat in cloud storage and sharing.
Dropbox has seen the cloud storage revolution happen in front of its eyes, holding its ground against competitors as hearty as Google and Amazon to maintain its dominant position in the market. In 2020, the company saw its annual revenue approach the $2 billion mark, with active paid users in excess of 15 million around the world. The company has kept its momentum going throughout the last year, boasting considerable profits over the last three quarters.
VMware Inc. (VMW)
- Revenue (TTM): $11.3 billion
- Net Income (TTM): $6.3 billion
- Market Cap: $60.0 billion
- 1-Year Trailing Total Return: -11.9%
- Exchange: New York Stock Exchange
VMware is a cloud computing and virtualization software company specializing in products addressing a broad range of information technology (IT) issues. VMware software is designed to address operational inefficiencies, business continuity concerns, software lifecycle issues, and to provide general desktop management tools.
#7 Intuit Inc. (INTU)
- Revenue (TTM): $6.9 billion
- Net Income (TTM): $1.3 billion
- Market Cap: $81.0 billion
- 1-Year Trailing Total Return: 14.0%
- Exchange: NASDAQ
Business and financial software company Intuit is best known for its accounting software QuickBooks and its tax preparation software TurboTax. The company’s products are designed for individuals, small businesses, and accountants.
#8 Square Inc. (SQ)
- Revenue (TTM): $5.1 billion
- Net Income (TTM): $0.3 billion
- Market Cap: $60.1 billion
- 1-Year Trailing Total Return: 96.6%
- Exchange: New York Stock Exchange
Square is a financial services and mobile payments software company. It sells point-of-sale software that allows merchants and customers to engage in speedy transactions, providing tools for digital receipts, sales reports, and inventory analysis.
#9 Dassault Systemes SE (DASTY)
- Revenue (TTM): $4.8 billion
- Net Income (TTM): $0.6 billion
- Market Cap: $46.7 billion
- 1-Year Trailing Total Return: 19.9%
- Exchange: OTC
French company Dassault Systemes is a subsidiary of the larger Dassault Group, a conglomerate best known for its aviation and aerospace endeavors. Dassault Systemes creates software for 3D product design, simulation, and manufacturing, among other tasks.
#10 SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc. (SSNC)
- Revenue (TTM): $4.7 billion
- Net Income (TTM): $0.5 billion
- Market Cap: $15.0 billion
- 1-Year Trailing Total Return: 29.4%
- Exchange: NASDAQ
SS&C Technologies provides financial and investment software, including tools for wealth management accounting, insurance and pension fund administration, and more. The company’s primary clients are in the financial services and health care industries.
COnclusion
Business software is changing the way your business operates, from customer-relationship management software to enterprise resource planning systems, and everything in between. The great news for businesses today is that a number of the largest computer companies in the world, such as Microsoft and Oracle, sell business software. But whether you prefer PC-based or web-based programs for your business, make sure your company’s needs are considered regarding which type of business software will be best to use.