Special Mention: Google

From its rivalry with software giant Microsoft, to its ability to attract renowned industry pioneers as new employees and form strategic partnerships, Google is certainly proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

While it is not a Top Tech 50 (see editor's note below), the company is featured as a Special Mention for its considerable role in the Internet and search markets.

Just seven years in the game, Google has been blazing up the Nasdaq stock market since it went public in Aug. 2004, hitting a new high of US$348.65 (at press time) last month. And the search company looks set to continue its bull run, posting a net income of US$381.2 million for the third quarter of 2005, on record revenue of US$1.58 billion.

These days, when someone says "Google it", you know he means "search" for it.

And the company continues to demonstrate its commitment to developing its search technology as well as introducing new ones, such as instant messaging and news feed service.

Google will have to stay on top of its game, especially when some of its closest competitors are starting to form allies in markets it plays in and are showing no signs of letting up.

Editor's note: Google was not a nominee of the Top Tech 50 Index because financial data from the company's four latest consecutive fiscal years was not publicly available. Data from only the last three fiscal years, however, is currently available on the company's Web site, and listed below.