Introduction
Countless changes happened during the first decade of the 21st Century. People, institutions, and companies felt the effects through the digital revolution. The businesses that thrived during this time are the companies in technology. The internet was just starting to become accessible to people and firms created products that the people needed at the time. The most successful businesses in the first decade of the 21st Century were computer companies, communication and social network, gaming and mobile device companies.
Computer Companies
There was a spike in both computer software development companies as global communication was on the rise, and there was access to information. Companies like Microsoft, Linux, Oracle (software) Intel, Nvidia and AMD (hardware) had record-breaking sales as there was demand for their products.
Communications and Social Network Companies
In the field of communication, people found better ways to pass messages and connect. Social networks and mobile phones made it easy to catch up with old and new friends and family. Skype launched in 2003, and it transformed how people communicated. Individuals would see and hear each other even though they were miles apart. Consumers were not able to video chat previously. After a few years, Skype was available on mobile and people did not have to pay and as long as they had an internet connection, they could communicate with family and friends. Although Facebook was not the first social network, it became the most successful after its launch in 2004. It gathered uses from all over the world because people had access to the internet and they could open email addresses. Facebook became a social network of choice because of the timing, its ease, and exclusivity. The social network inspired other creators to come up with different social networks and people over the world connected. YouTube launched in 2005 and it which made it easy for people to upload, broadcast and watch video content.
Gaming Companies
The gaming industry was very successful in the first decade of the 21st Century. Although there were many games available before that, onscreen gaming businesses thrived. Some of the companies that succeeded in their front were Microsoft with their Xbox and Sony with their PlayStation (Castells np). Nintendo also made it easy for people to be present and involved in the gaming world and this feature gathered fans from all over the globe ensuring business continuity.
Mobile Phone Companies
Mobile phones made their way into the market, and brands like Nokia and Motorola cashed in because the device made communication easier. In 2007, Apple came up with the touchscreen iPhone to the excitement of consumers and sold over 900 million phones. In 2008, Google came up with the Android operation system to compete with the iOS and Android became the operating system for Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC phones.
Conclusion
In summary, the internet made many businesses successful in the early 2000’s especially with the birth of search engines. There was a shift happening globally, and people would now find gadgets that would solve their problems or make work easier.
(Photos from Pexels)
Do you ever think of life pre internet? What were we doing? Great post.
I dare not think about that, how did people steem back then?
It looks like the tech guys did it again!
That's the way to go
Good list. I would add AI, Blockchain and Robotics companies. No doubt the next Zuckerberg or Bezos will come from one of the crypto companies. Decentralization will take years to play out but will inevitably be the new king. So platform companies in the space will be huge. (go Steemit!)