Silicon Valley

Although not an actual geographical location with defined borders, Silicon Valley is one of the most famous places when it comes to technology. This area that is found just south of the San Francisco Bay Area is known as the headquarters of many different companies, with many operating in the information technology sector. It is from these Silicon Valley Companies that the region first got its name. Because there were many companies located there that produced semiconductors which are primarily composed of silicon, the nickname of Silicon Valley quickly stuck. Before the appearance of the Silicon Valley Companies, the area was called the Valley of Heart’s Delight because of many orchards that dotted the landscape. The cities that make up the valley include the notable towns of Santa Clara, San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, and Saratoga. The borders of the region are always in flux as new companies are still relocating to this area.

The origin of most of the Silicon Valley Companies came from Stanford University. This college was well known as one of the leaders in technology and computing, attracting some of the smartest minds in the country to its campus. When these students graduated, many decided to start their own business in the technology field. The proximity to Stanford University and other technology companies created a domino effect in which all major computing firms had an advantaged to being located close to this valley. Since the early 1950s, companies began flocking to Silicon Valley and the attraction has still continued to this day.

Following the original companies that inhabited Silicon Valley, other services began to appear as well. First came the law firms that were needed to support the operations of the technology giants and starting organizations. Because the state of California does not allow employment non-competition clauses, many employees moved from company to company sharing knowledge and creating greater competition. This led to many lawsuits and the law firms were present to aid with these issues. Also, with the amount of money that was being generated by these technological firms, venture capitalists soon followed the scent of easy investments. Many of the starting companies used venture capital funding for the initial creation of companies that soon became technological giants.

However, not all has been pleasant in Silicon Valley. When the bubble burst for the technology companies in the year 2000, the area was hit very hard. The real estate market, which was previously one of the highest in the country, dipped to the lowest prices on record for the area. This is slowly reaching for a recovery and with the amount of brilliant minds located there, it is only a matter of time before the valley is on top again. Still, the region boasts over 200,000 people being employed on the bleeding edge of technology and new ideas are sprouting there each and every day.