100 Fastest-growing companies

The world's supercharged performers

4 of 100

4. salesforce.com

Rank: 4 (Previous rank: N.A.)
CEO: Marc Benioff
Address: 1 Market Plz.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1004

Salesforce.com's brash CEO, Marc Benioff, has long been an acolyte of so-called cloud-computing, the practice of renting, in this case, enterprise software over the Internet. Salesforce.com's cloud-offerings include all-in-one applications to manage sales and customer service. Its Sales Cloud 2 and Service Cloud 2 products allow clients to access account information, troubleshoot service requests, and collaborate with other members of the team in real time through one platform. Because the software is web-based, the data is also accessible at home or via a smartphone.

One of Salesforce's newest features, Chatter, is a Web2.0 application modeled in part after Facebook, one of its new customers. Last year, the IT firm signed up 17,100 new customers to its line of subscription-based services, a 19% lift.--D.M.

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Financials: Latest Results

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	$ millions (past 4 qtrs.)	% growth (3 yr. annual rate)	Growth rank
Revenues**	1,377.5	40	31
Net income**	80.0	—	—
Total return	—	26	20
Earnings per share	—	119	7

Share price
As of 8/4/10	$103.56
Beat the S&P 500*	Yes
P/E (current fiscal year est.)	166

Industry: Technology

Industry rank	Company	Fastest-Growing rank	Revenues ($ millions)
1	Ebix	3	108.6
2	salesforce.com	4	1,377.5
3	Pegasystems	8	276.7


4	Priceline.Com	11	2,460.5
5	Sohu.com	12	529.0
6	Apple	18	51,123.0
7	NetScout Systems	24	260.3
8	AsiaInfo Holdings	26	261.8
9	Research In Motion	33	14,953.2
10	Multi-Fineline Electronix	35	757.3
11	Cognizant Technology Solutions	37	3,492.5
12	ANSYS	39	536.6
13	FLIR Systems	43	1,162.4
14	Sapient	45	709.1
15	China Information Security Technology	50	111.3
16	Synaptics	57	484.5
17	F5 Networks	64	730.6
18	Dolby Laboratories	66	799.8
19	Open Text	76	875.4
20	Sina	77	369.8
21	GeoEye	84	306.3
22	NCI	88	478.9
23	ManTech International	97	2,158.3
24	MetroPCS Communications	100	3,655.7

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From the September 6, 2010 issue.

Notes:
* Through June 30, 2010. The S&P 500 returned -9.81% annually over the same period.
** Through the quarter ended on or before April 30, 2010.

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Company	Revenue growth (3-year annual rate)
International Assets Holding	228%
SXC Health Solutions	218%
First Solar	141%

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First Solar	228%
Sapient	188%
International Assets Holding	185%

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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters	64%
Ebix	52%

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How we pick the Fastest-Growing

To qualify, a company -- domestic or foreign -- must be trading on a major U.S. stock exchange; file quarterly reports to the SEC; have a minimum market... More

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100 Fastest-growing companies

The world's supercharged performers