Microsoft 'best software brand'

Microsoft has come in at first place in a list of top ten software brands compiled by one technology magazine.

Computing named Microsoft ahead of Google (second place) and Amazon (fifth) in its analysis of the world's best software brands and said that its decision should not surprise readers.

The publication estimated that the value of the Microsoft brand was just over £30 billion (44 billion US), almost three times the value of the third place candidate, Oracle.

Computing explained that Bill Gates' empire was the clear winner 'even though the Redmond-based software titan has suffered a rare hiccup with the poor reaction to its Windows Vista operating system'.

It added: 'Which is probably why Microsoft is moving heaven and earth to get Windows 7 released, to provide a supported alternative to Vista. Latest news is that the Windows 7 release candidate will be available in May.'

Other big names to feature on the news provider's top ten list were Cisco (fourth place), SAP (sixth) and Yahoo! (seventh).