Google is ranked as the most valuable brand in the world with a brand value of $44.29 billion. Microsoft is ranked second with a brand value of $42.80 billion. Walmart is ranked third with a brand value of $36.22 billion. IBM is ranked fourth with a brand value of $36.16 billion. Vodafone is ranked fifth with a brand value of $30.67 billion.

1. Most valuable brands in the world Shashikant S Kulkarni [email_address]

2. Brand value: $44.29 billion Market cap: 143.02 billion Industry: Internet computer software. Founded: Menlo Park, California (September 4, 1998. Founder(s): Sergey M. Brin and Lawrence E. Page. Headquarters: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, United States. Key people: Lawrence E. Page (CEO, co-Founder and president, products); Eric Schmidt (executive chairman), and Sergey M. Brin (co-founder and president, technology). Revenue: $29.321 billion (2010). Profit: $8.505 billion (2010). Total assets: $57.851 billion (2010). Employees: 24,400 (2010).

3. Rank: 2 Brand value: $42.80 billion Market cap: $165.72 billion Industry: Computer software, consumer electronics, digital distribution, computer hardware, video games, IT consulting, online advertising, retail stores, automotive software. Founded: Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 4, 1975. Founder(s): Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Headquarters: One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, United States. Key people: Steve Ballmer (CEO); Brian Kevin Turner (COO), and Bill Gates (chairman). Revenue: $62.484 billion (2010). Profit: $18.760 billion (2010). Total assets: $86.113 billion (2010). Employees: 89,000 (2010).

4. Rank 3: Brand value: $36.22 billion Market cap: $154.32 billion Industry: Retailing. Founded: October 31, 1962. Founder: Sam Walton Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, US. Key people: Mike Duke (CEO); H Lee Scott (chairman of the executive committee of the board), and S Robson Walton (chairman). Revenue: $408.21 billion (2009). Net income: $14.33 billion. Employees: approx. 2,100,000 (2009).

5. Rank: 4 Brand value: $36.16 billion Market cap: $189.72 billion Industry: Computer systems, computer hardware and software, information technology consulting, and IT service management. Founded: Endicott, New York June 16, 1911. Headquarters: Armonk, New York, United States. Key people: Samuel J. Palmisano (chairman, president and CEO). Revenue: $99.870 billion (2010). Net income: $14.833 billion (2010). Total assets: $113.452 billion. Employees: 426,751 (2010).

6. Rank: 5 Brand value: 30.67 billion Market cap: 192.45 billion Industry: Telecommunications. Founded: 1984. Headquarters: London, United Kingdom. Key people: Sir John Bond (chairman); Vittorio Colao (CEO); John Buchanan (deputy chairman), and Andy Halford (CFO). Revenue: Pound 44.47 billion (2010). Profit: Pound 8.645 billion (2010). Total assets: Pound 156.98 billion (2010). Employees: 84,990 (2010).

7. Rank 6: Brand value: $30.62 Market cap: $120.19 Industry: Banking, financial services, and investment services. Founded: 1998 (as Bank of America Corp). Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Key people: Charles O Holliday (chairman) and Brian Moynihan (president and CEO). Revenue: $134.194 billion (2010). Net income: $2.238 billion (2010). Total assets: $2.264 trillion. Employees: 288,000 (2010).

8. Rank 7: Brand value: $30.50 billion Market cap: $475.07 billion Industry: Conglomerate. Founded: Schenectady, New York (1892). Founder(s): Thomas Edison, Elihu Thomson, Edwin J Houston, and Charles A Coffin. Headquarters: 3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, Connecticut, US. Key people: Jeffrey R. Immelt (chairman and CEO). Revenue: $104.635 billion (2010). Net income: $12.163 billion (2010). Total assets: $751.216 billion (2010). Employees: 287,000 (2010).

9. A pple Rank 8: Brand value: $29.54 billion Market cap: $244.38 billion Industry: Computer hardware, computer software, consumer electronics, and digital distribution. Founded: April 1, 1976. Founder(s): Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Headquarters: Apple Campus, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, US. Key people: Steve Jobs (chairman and CEO) and Tim Cook (COO and acting CEO). Revenue: $65.23 billion (2010). Profit: $14.01 billion (2010). Total assets: $75.18 billion (2010). Employees: 49,400 (2010).

10. W ells Fargo Rank: 9 Brand value: $28.94 billion Market cap: $136.07 billion Industry: Banking, financial services. Founded: New York, NY (March 18, 1852). Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States. Key people: John G Stumpf (chairman, president & CEO). Revenue: $85.210 billion (2010). Profit: $12.362 billion (2010). Total assets: $1.258 trillion (2010). Employees: 280,000 (2010).

11. A T&T Rank: 10 Brand value: $28.88 billion Market cap: $235.99 billion Industry: Telecommunications. Founded: October 5, 1983. Headquarters: Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. Key people: Randall L Stephenson (chairman, president and CEO). Revenue: $124.280 billion (2010). Net income: $19.864 billion (2010). Total assets: $268.488 billion (2010). Employees: 294,600 (2010).

12. Rank: 11 Brand value: $27.63 billion Market cap: $171.16 billion Industry: Banking, financial services, and investment services. Founded: 1991 (HSBC Holdings plc) 1865 (The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited). Founder: Sir Thomas Sutherland. Headquarters: 8 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom. Key people: Douglas Flint (group chairman) and Stuart Gulliver (group chief executive). Revenue: $ 98.918 billion (2010). Profit: $ 13.159 billion (2010). Total assets: $ 2.454 trillion (2010). Employees: 307,000 (2010).

13. V erizon Rank: 12 Brand value: $27.29 billion Market cap: $381.09 billion Industry: Telecommunications. Founded: 1983. Headquarters: Verizon Building, New York City, New York, United States. Key people: Ivan Seidenberg (chairman and CEO) and Lowell McAdam (president and COO). Revenue: $106.565 billion (2010). Net income: $10.217 billion (2010). Total assets: $220.005 billion (2010). Employees: 194,400 (2010).

14. H P Rank 13 Brand value: $26.76 billion Market cap: $84.19 billion Industry: Computer hardware, computer software, IT consulting, and IT services. Founded: Palo Alto, California (1939). Founder(s): Bill Hewlett and David Packard. Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, US. Key people: Raymond Lane (chairman) and Leo Apotheker (president and CEO). Revenue: $126.033 billion (2010). Net income: $8.761 billion (2010). Total assets: $124.503 billion (2010). Employees: 324,600 (2010).

15. Rank 14: Brand value: $26.15 billion Market cap: $204.86 billion Industry: Automotive robotics and financial services. Founded: August 28, 1937. Founder: Kiichiro Toyoda. Headquarters: Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. Key people: Fujio Cho (chairman and representative director); Katsuaki Watanabe (vice chairman and representative director), and Akio Toyoda (president and representative director). Revenue: Yen 18.9 trillion (2010). Profit: Yen 209.4 billion (2010). Total assets: Yen 30.3 trillion. Employees: 71,116.

16. S antander Rank 15 Brand value: $26.15 billion Market cap: $100.28 billion Industry: Financial services. Founded: 1857. Headquarters: Santander, Spain. Revenue: Euro 42.05 billion (2010). Profit: Euro 8.181 billion (2010). Total assets: Euro 1.218 trillion. Employees: 178,870 (2010).