Hewlett-Packard

Known as "HP" this company was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1939, by William Hewlett and David Packard -the original "guys in the garage"- HP in effect invented Silicon Valley as the preeminent fertile field for entrepreneurs. Led by Carly Fiorina, Chairman and CEO, HP employs some 88,000 employees worldwide. Best known for its printers, HP started by producing electronic measuring instruments used primarily by engineers and scientists. In time, they extended their range to serve the areas of medicine and chemical analysis. Responding to customers' needs to gather and use large quantities of measurement data, they developed a small family of computers that later evolved into a broad line of computer and computer-based products, including associated software, peripherals, support, and services. Today, HP is considered one of the world's foremost suppliers of measurement, computation, and communication products and services.