Google overtakes Apple to become world's most valuable IT brand

Google has overtaken Apple to become the world’s most valuable global brand in the 2014 BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking, worth $159 billion, an increase of 40% year on year.

After three years at the top, Apple slipped to No 2 on the back of a 20% decline in brand value, to $148 billion. Whilst Apple remains a top performing brand, there is a growing perception that it is no longer redefining technology for consumers, reflected by a lack of dramatic new product launches.

The combined value of the Top 100 has nearly doubled since the first ranking was produced in 2006. The Top 100 today are worth $2.9 trillion, an increase of 49% compared with the 2008 valuation, which marked the start of the banking and currency crisis.

Below is the list of the world's most valuable IT companies:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. IBM
4. Microsoft
5. Tencent
6. SAP
7. Facebook
8. Baidu
9. Samsung
10. Oracle
11. HP
12. Accenture
13. Siemens
14. Yahoo
15. Twitter
16. Cisco
17. LinkedIn
18. Intel
19. Sony
20. Ericsson