THE MOST POWERFUL COMPANIES
Using a mean scale of 1 to 100, 250 Network World readers ranked Cisco and Microsoft in a virtual power tie. They also considerably upped the power status of IBM, Network Associates and Verizon, and tanked Lucent.
 
2001 Rank Company 2001 Power Rating 2000 Power Rating Change 2000 Rank
1 Microsoft 77.2

77.5

 0% 2
2 Cisco 77.0 81.5 -6% 1
3 Intel 70.6 74.6 -5% 3
4 IBM 68.3 64.3 6% 8
5 Oracle 64.1 68.5 -6% 4
6 Sun 62.7 67.2 -7% 5
7 Dell 61.8 64.5 -4% 7
8 AT&T 61.5 65.1 -6% 6
9 Hewlett-Packard 60.9 63.0 -3% 11
10 Network Associates 57.0 56.2 1% 16
11 EMC1 56.7 N/A N/A N/A
12 Verizon 56.6 54.2 4% 18
13 3Com 56.0 62.6 -11% 12
14 Nortel 56.0 63.2 -11% 10
15 Sprint 55.6 57.1 -3% 15
16 WorldCom 55.6 60.2 -8% 13
17 Compaq 54.8 56.0 -2% 17
18 BellSouth 54.3 50.3 8% 22
19 SBC 54.1 59.3 -9% 14
20 SAP 54.0 53.1 2% 20
21 Qwest 53.5 54.2 -1% 19
22 Alcatel 53.0 48.7 9% 23
23 Lucent 51.2 64.1 -20% 9
24 Computer Associates 50.9 51.2 -1% 21
25 Novell 50.0 47.4 6% 24
1 Not on last year's list.


PACKING ON THE POWER
Only 7 companies gained power in 2001, respondents said.
 
2001 Rank Company 2001 Power Rating 2000 Power Rating Gain 2000 Rank
22 Alcatel 53.0 48.7 9% 23
18 BellSouth 54.3 50.3 8% 22
4 IBM 68.3 64.3 6% 8
25 Novell 50.0 47.4 6% 24
12 Verizon 56.6 54.2 4% 18
20 SAP 54.0 53.1 2% 20
10 Network Associates 57.0 56.2 1% 16


POWER DRAIN
While respondents lowered the scores of 17 out of 25 companies from 2000 to 2001, they only reduced the ranks of these 10 by 5% or more.
 
2001 Rank Company 2001 Power Rating 2000 Power Rating Loss 2000 Rank
23 Lucent 51.2 64.1 -20% 9
14 Nortel 56.0 63.2 -11% 10
13
3Com		 56.0 62.6 -11% 12
19 SBC 54.1 59.3 -9% 14
16 WorldCom 55.6 60.2 -8% 13
6 Sun 62.7 67.2 -7% 5
5 Oracle 64.1 68.5 -6% 4
8 AT&T 61.5 65.1 -6% 6
2 Cisco 77.0 81.5 -6% 1

3		 Intel 70.6 74.6 -5% 3