Google

Top 50 rank: 2
Rank in Internet Services and Retailing: 1
(Previous rank: 1)
Overall score: 7.70

Why it's admired

Google is increasingly squaring off against Apple, so it's fitting that the search engine giant climbs into the no. 2 slot this year, notably edging past Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The tech behemoth -- its revenues were $23.6 billion last year -- continues to dominate search on the web and attract the smartest designers and engineers. Meanwhile YouTube, long disparaged by critics as a money-loser, has started showing signs of major growth potential and analysts expect it will become profitable in the coming year.

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But all eyes are on the Android OS for smartphones, to see how seriously it will challenge Apple's iPhone in the hotly competitive world of mobile devices. Watch this space next year. --C.T.