Dell

For a corporate entity that started with a measly capital of $1000, Dell has certainly blossomed from its humble beginnings of a pet project of then aspiring entrepreneur Michael Dell.

Michael Dell started his company in his room in Dobie Center, a luxurious twenty-seven story residence hall, which was located adjacent to the institution where he enrolled in, the University of Texas. Starting as a supplier of IBM-compatible PCs, whose specifications were dictated by his customers, his group effectively became a fledgling corporate entity when his family bolstered his capital with $300,000.

By 1985, the company churned out a proprietary PC design; it ran at a measly 8 MHz but was quite adequate for customers’ needs at that time.

They made $73 million in their initial year.

Nowadays, Dell is one of the colossal juggernauts in the technology and information industries. In 2006, it held the 25^th spot in the Fortune 500 largest companies list. It has become a direct-sale computer vendor that caters to the enterprise and consumer markets with a wide range of products that now encompass printers, storage systems, toners, projectors, digital cameras, GPS gadgets, MP3 players, network servers, Ethernet switches, and networking devices in addition to their laptop-desktop-server staples.

Dell’s key people:

· Michael S. Dell – Chairman and CEO

· Donald J. Carty Jr. – Vice Chairman and CFO

· Stephen F. Schuckenbrock – Senior VP; President, Global Services

· Lawrence P. Tu – SVP, General Counsel, and Secretary

Dell is clearly a pro-environment company. This can be seen in the recognitions it garnered and in its various past and current initiatives that primarily aim to reduce the corporate entity’s carbon footprint and/or encourage activities that nurture the environment. Some of these are listed below:

· 2004 – Dell became the first group in the Information Technology Industry to use a product-recycling goal

· 2006 – Dell successfully implemented its worldwide consumer recycling-program

· February 6, 2007 – The company was awarded the “Recycling Works” award by the National Recycling Coalition for initiatives that encouraged producer responsibility

· July 19, 2007 – The company announced that it had overshot its targets of its multi-year project of reclaiming 125 million kilos of computer hardware by 2009

· June 5, 2007 – The company inaugurated their zero-carbon initiative that aims to make Dell the greenest company in the long run. The objectives of this program include:

1. Lowering the company’s carbon emissions by 15% by 2012

2. compelling their primary suppliers to present data about their carbon emissions in quarterly business reviews

3. encourage customers to coordinate with the company to build the “greenest PC on the planet”

4. expanding the company’s “Plant a Tree for Me” program, whose aim is to offset carbon emissions through funds donated by consumers

Hewlett-Packard

The founders of Hewlett-Packard, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, were classmates at Stanford University. In 1939 they established the company. It started with an initial infusion of $538 and its first product was an audio oscillator, an electronic test equipment utilized by sound engineers. Walt Disney Studios was its first client; it bought eight oscillators to test a sound system for its movie Fantasia.

Today, Hewlett-Packard operates in more than 170 countries in six continents and caters to more than 1 billion customers. It allocates an annual fund of $3.6 billion to the research and development of solutions, novel technologies, and products. HP has 172,000 employees all over the world and held the 14^th spot in the Fortune 500 list in 2007. The company is now considered to be the largest manufacturer of personal computers and ranks 10^th globally in the Environment, Social Impact Ratings by the Economist.

Catering to consumer and enterprise markets, HP sells a broad range of information technology equipment including networking equipment, personal computers, servers, printers, and storage devices. It also markets software and this division of its product lineup includes print management tools and operating systems. Hewlett-Packard also has IT service teams.

Basing from a 2006 market research, HP has exceeded Dell as the largest global marketer of personal computers. As of last year, HP has generated total revenue of $107.7 billion, making it the world’s largest information technology company.

Hewlett-Packard key people:

· Mark Jurd – Chairman of the Board, CEO and President

· Todd Bradley – Executive VP, Personal Systems Group

· Jon Flaxman – Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer

The company also is active in philanthropic drives; it funds communities and projects that it deems to have the potential to make a substantial difference. HP aims to empower current and future generations by investing its technologies, resources, and expertise in order to advance and foster environmental sustainability, economic development, and educational opportunities.

Currently, HP has provided means for parties in select regions (the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the United States) to apply for a grant or involvement in the company’s programs.

In 2006 alone, Hewlett-Packard contributed more than $45 million worth of resources on a global scale. This humongous fund helped teachers, students, community residents, and non-profit organizations tackle their basic needs and hurdles.

The HP Community Investment drives are not connected to the founder’s family foundations.

The company also is active in creating and running eco-friendly initiatives. In 2007, it had already recycled 1 billion pounds of print supplies and computer hardware. The company has also coordinated with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in a pro-active stance against global warming; it infused the WWF with $2 million worth of equipment and cash to create climate change projects.

Lenovo

The Chinese personal computer manufacturer was founded in Beijing by a team of eleven computer scientists, which was headed by Liu Chuanzhi. They initially used the names Legend Group Ltd and New Technology Developer Incorporated.

The company altered its structure and split into two divisions. These are: Lenovo and Digital China Holdings Limited. The latter is a wholesaler and distributor of information technology services and products while the former is a personal computer manufacturer.

Lenovo Group Limited is currently the fourth largest personal computer manufacturer in the world, trailing after Hewlett-Packard and Dell of the United States and its long-time competitor, Acer of Taiwan. It is a major world player in the IT industry and is the leader in its home country. Its international products include IT services, desktop and notebook PCs, storage drives, and displays. In China, it also markets servers and mobile phone handsets.

Lenovo’s key people:

· Yang Yuanqing – Chairman

· William J. (Bill) Amelio – President , CEO, and Director

· Liu Jun – SVP; President, Consumer Business Group

The Chinese group despite its success, is not one to ignore small organizations and individuals who aspire to prosper in whatever they industry they have invested in. Lenovo has not forgotten its humble roots and the innovative drive of the eleven founders that has secured it as a global company. It as launched philanthropic efforts throughout the years and these are aimed at organizations that foster business development and social entrepreneurship. Currently, the company is helping facilitate loans to aid financially-challenged people. This global initiative encompasses countries such as: Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Apple, Inc.

Apple Inc. is an American global corporation that specializes in manufacturing and designing software products and consumer electronics. The IT company develops, supports, and sells portable media players, personal computers, mobile phones, and computer software, hardware, and accessories.

The company was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California and was incorporated in January 3, 1977. It carried the name “Apple Computer, Inc.” for its first thirty years but later changed its label to simply “Apple, Inc.” This alteration was catalyzed by the company’s foray into the consumer electronics market on top of its robust personal computers division.

In the fiscal year of 2007 alone, the company had worldwide sales of $24.01 billion and operated about 200 retail stores in five countries.

Apple’s key people:

· Steve Jobs – CEO & Co-founder

· Steve Wozniak – Co-founder

· Timothy D. Cook – COO

Apple is a company that has sustainability as one of its driving forces. The key areas that the company scrutinizes in designing and manufacturing products are:

· Product and packaging design – it is at this most fundamental level that the company analyzes which materials are to be used in order to come up with a product that maximizes efficiency and reduces waste.

· Responsible manufacturing – by late 2008, the company will have eliminated the use of PVC and brominated flame retardants in its products. The company is very much aware and concerned about the issues presented by hazardous substances on the environment and its consumers.

· Energy Efficiency – Apple, Inc. has taken strides in order to maximize the energy efficiency of its products. Since 2001, all its portable computers, desktops, and displays have been given the Energy Star rating.

· Recyling – Apple has rolled out extensive take-back drives and since 1994, has diverted 15,450,00 kilos of electronic junk from landfills worldwide.

Microsoft

Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation that is based in America. It develops, licenses, and manufactures a broad range of software products for computing devices.

The company was initially founded to provide BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800, Microsoft in the 80s eventually came to virtually control the personal computing OS market with its MS-DOS software. In its unprecedented success, the company has generated four billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from its ranks. It has since then diversified and penetrated the digital music players and video game consoles with its products, some of which are highly successful like the Xbox consoles.

Microsoft’s key people:

· William (Bill) Gates III – Chairman

· Steven A. Ballmer – CEO and Director

· B. Kevin Turner – COO

The IT giant has also made several philanthropic community investments. These include:

· Microsoft Unlimited Potential—Community Technology Skills Program – through software donations, cash grants, specialized curriculum, and technology solutions, the company aims to empower young people and adult to fulfill their potential. Microsoft coordinates with non-profit organizations and NGOs with this endeavor.

· Puget Sound Grants and Programs – Microsoft provides listening platform and aid in the form of grants and support to non-profit organizations that focus on community needs.

· IT Capacity Building – Microsoft has coordinated with TechSoup and NPower in helping not-for-profit groups with their technical issues and needs.

· Disaster Response and Humanitarian Relief – The IT company coordinates with NGOs and concerned organization in continuing to come up with more efficient ways to use their extensive resources to aid people in the wake of natural disasters