The Origin of the Names of World-renowned IT Companies

Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, Google, Sony, Intel... These are all famous IT companies that we encounter in the news every day. But do you know where their names come from? The interesting article below lists the origins of the names of 18 IT companies, and I believe it will definitely give you a lot of insights.

1. Motorola

The founder Paul Galvin named the company when it started producing car radios. Originally, it was called Victrola.

2. Microsoft

Bill Gates came up with this name, indicating that the company would focus on MICROcomputer SOFT-ware (microcomputer software). It was originally called Mi-cro-Soft, but later the " - " in the middle was removed.

3. Lotus

Named after the padmasana (lotus position). Founder Mitch Kapor was once a transcendental meditation teacher for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Translator's note: Mahesh Yogi, Maharishi, Indian religious leader.)

4. Intel

Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their company "Moore Noyce," but this name had already been registered by a chain hotel, so they changed it to the abbreviation of INTegrated ELectronics (Integrated Electronics).

5. Hewlett-Packard

Founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard flipped a coin to decide whether their company would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.

6. Hotmail

Founder Jack Smith came up with the original idea to create an email service that could be accessed via the Web from any computer. When Sabeer Bhatia drafted the business plan, he tried various names ending with "mail" and finally chose Hotmail because Hotmail contained "html" —— the language used to write web pages. The earliest form of Hotmail was HoT-MaiL. Note: Microsoft acquired Hotmail in 1998 for $400 million.

7. Google

The name comes from an exaggerated expression about how much information a search engine can search. It was originally called "Googol," which represents 1 followed by 100 zeros. Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page demonstrated their project to an investor, and eventually they received a check made out to "Google" Company!