Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014

The following video is from Friday's Motley Fool Money roundtable discussion, with host Chris Hill and analysts Ron Gross, James Early, and Charly Travers.

In the wake of recent earnings results, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) , and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) have a combined market cap of $520 billion. Some�investors shy away from big technology stocks. In this segment, the guys share why they're not afraid to own some of the biggest technology companies in the world.

When it comes to dominating markets, it doesn't get much better than Intel's position in the PC microprocessor arena. However, that market is maturing, and Intel finds itself in a precarious situation longer term if it doesn't find new avenues for growth. In this�premium research report on Intel, our analyst runs through all of the key topics investors�should understand�about�the chip giant. Click here now to learn more.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2015: Silver Spring Networks Inc (SSNI)

Silver Spring Networks, Inc., incorporated on July 3, 2002, provides a networking platform and solutions that enable utilities to transform the power grid infrastructure into the smart grid. The Company�� networking platform provides two-way communications between the utility back office and devices on the power grid. In addition to its networking platform, it offers a suite of solutions that run on top of its network and complementary services, all of which is referred to as its Smart Energy Platform. Its service offerings include professional services to implement its products, managed services and software as a service ( SaaS), to assist utilities with managing the network and solutions, and ongoing customer support. Its Smart Energy Platform consists of hardware, software and services and combines with devices manufactured by third-party partners to form end-to-end smart grid offerings.

The Company�� solutions include advanced metering, which allows utilities to automate a number of manual processes and improve operational efficiencies, offer flexible pricing programs to consumers, and improve customer service with faster outage detection and restoration; distribution automation, which provides utilities with real-time visibility into the health of the grid, enabling better management and control of power distribution assets to improve grid reliability, and demand-side management, which enables utilities to offer consumers a variety of programs and incentives to use energy more efficiently and reduce usage at times of peak demand. The Company markets its Smart Energy Platform directly to utilities around the world. The Company�� network is composed of its hardware, such as access points and relays, its UtilOS network operating system, and GridScape software suite, which together provide utilities the ability to communicate with and control devices connected to the power grid.

The Company also offers a suite of solutions that run on top of its network, including ad! vanced metering, distribution automation, and demand-side management. These solutions include additional hardware, such as its communications modules and bridges, and applications from UtilityIQ and CustomerIQ software. Its solutions combine with devices from the large number of third parties with whom it collaborates to form end-to-end smart grid offerings built on its network. In addition, itoffers a range of services that enable its utility customers to deploy, operate and maintain its networking platform and solutions. These service offerings include professional services to implement its products, managed services and SaaS to assist utilities with managing the network and solutions, and ongoing customer support.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Silver Spring Networks (NYSE: SSNI) were down 23.66 percent to $17.91 after the company issued downbeat Q4 forecast. Credit Suisse downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral and cut the price target from $26.00 to $23.00.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: Kingdee International Software Group Co Ltd (KGDEF)

Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited is an investment holding company. The principal activities of the Company and its subsidiaries are developing, manufacturing and selling of enterprise management software products and provision of software-related technical services in the People's Republic of China. The Company operates in two segments: enterprise management software business, which is engaged in the sales and implementation of enterprise management software, provision of other related services and sales of hardware related to enterprise management software arrangements, and others, which is engaged in the sales of middleware software business and provision online management services. Its subsidiaries include Beijng Kingdee System Technology Co., Ltd., Kingdee E-commerce Service (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. and others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks trimmed their gains but held to positive territory Wednesday after data showing China's economic growth accelerated to 7.5% in the second quarter, ticking up from a 7.4% gain in the first quarter. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) inched up 0.2%, off slightly from a 0.3% advance ahead of the data, while the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) dipped 0.1%. Mainland Chinese power companies posted broad gains, with Huadian Power International Corp. (HK:1071) rallying 4.2% after the company forecast its profit for the first six months of the year would jump 55% to 65% from a year earlier. Other stocks in the sector also attracted investors' interest, with Datang International Power Generation Co. (HK:0991) (DIPGF) (CN:601991) and Huaneng Power International Inc. (HK:0902) (HUNGF) (CN:600011) gaining 2.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Menswear maker China Fordoo Holdings Ltd. (HK:2399) rose 1% on its first day of trading. However, most software and gaming companies declined, with Kingdee International Software Group (HK:0268) (KGDEF) losing 1.4%, bigger rival Kingsoft Corp. (HK:3888) (KSFTF) falling 0.9%, and Forgame Holdings L

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: TechTarget Inc (TTGT)

TechTarget, Inc., incorporated on September 14, 1999, is a provider of specialized online content and brand advertising that brings together buyers and sellers of corporate information technology (IT) products. The Company sells customized marketing programs that enable IT vendors to reach corporate IT decision makers who are researching specific IT purchases. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated a network of 115 Websites, each of which focuses on a specific IT sector, such as storage, security or networking. The Company�� content platform consists of a network of websites that it complement with targeted in-person events. On April 26, 2011 it announced that it had completed the acquisition of the Websites, product offerings, and events associated with Computer Weekly and MicroScope. In December 2012, the Company acquired the Websites and product offerings of LeMagIT.

Media Groups

The Company�� online properties in security sector, SearchSecurity.com, SearchCloudSecurity.com, SearchFinancialSecurity.com, SearchMidMarketSecurity.com and SearchSecurity.co.uk offer navigable and structured guides on IT vendor and technology solutions in key sub-sectors, such as network security, intrusion defense, identity management and authentication, data and application security, security-as-a-service, cloud security and security information management software. Its annual Financial Information Security Decisions conference anchors a calendar of topically-focused regional seminars on issues, such as compliance monitoring, data protection, and advanced threat management. Its networking market includes the hardware, software and services involved in the infrastructure and management of both enterprise and carrier voice and data networks.

The Company�� online properties in networking sector, SearchNetworking.com, SearchEnterpriseWAN.com, SearchUnifiedCommunications.com, SearchMobileComputing.com and SearchCloudProvider.com. The Company�� online properties in storag! e sector, SearchStorage.com, SearchDataBackup.com, SearchSMBStorage.com, SearchDisasterRecovery.com, SearchVirtualStorage.com, SearchCloudStorage.com, SearchSolidStateStorage.com and SearchStorage.co.uk address IT professionals seeking solutions in sub-sectors, such as fiber channel storage area network (SAN), solid state storage, virtualization Internet protocol (IP) and Internet small computer systems interface (iSCSI) SANs, network attached storage (NAS), backup hardware and software, and storage management software.

Data centers house the systems and components, such as servers, storage devices, routers and switches, utilized in large-scale, mission-critical computing environments. The Company�� online properties in this sector provide targeted information on the IT vendors, technologies and solutions that serve these sub-sectors. Its properties in this sector include SearchDataCenter.com, covering disaster recovery, power and cooling, mainframe and UNIX servers, systems management, and server consolidation; SearchEnterpriseLinux.com, focused on Linux migration and infrastructures; Search400.com, covering mid-range computing and SearchCloudComputing.com, which covers private and public cloud infrastructure. SearchServerVirtualization.com covers the decision points and alternatives for implementing server virtualization, while SearchVMware.com and RTFM-ed.co.uk focus on managing and building out virtual environments on the most widely-installed server virtualization platform.

The Company�� online properties in online properties in data centre and virtualization technologies include SearchWindowsServer.com, covering servers, storage, and systems management; SearchDomino.com, SearchExchange.com and SearchWinIT.com, each targeted toward senior management for distributed computing environments. This network of sites provides resources and advice to IT professionals pursuing solutions related to such topics as Windows backup and storage, server consolidation, and upgrade pla! nning. Se! archEnterpriseDesktop.com, SearchVirtualDesktop.com, BrianMadden.com and LabMice.net all focus on the deployment and management of end-user computing environments. The Company�� two BriForum conferences focus on desktop virtualization and related technologies.

The Company�� CIO/IT Strategy media group provides content targeted at Chief Information Officers (CIO), and senior IT executives, enabling them to make informed IT purchases throughout the critical stages of the purchase decision process. The Company�� online properties in this sector include SearchCIO.com, which provides CIOs in large enterprises with information focused on critical purchasing decisions; SearchCIO-Midmarket.com, which targets IT managers at small to medium-sized businesses, and SearchCompliance.com, which provides advice on IT-focused regulations and standards to IT and business executives and other senior IT managers. The CIO/IT Strategy Group also includes online resources and events targeted to IT decision makers in prominent vertical industries. SearchHealthIT.com provides strategic IT purchasing information and advice to senior IT and clinical professionals in hospitals, medical centers, university health centers and other care delivery organizations, as well as organizations in the life.

The Company�� Business Applications and Analytics media group focuses on mission critical software, such as databases and business intelligence, content management enterprise resource planning, and customer facing applications, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software for mid-sized and large companies. The properties in this sector include SearchCRM.com, BeyeNETWORK.com, SearchBusinessAnalytics.com, SearchDataManagement.com, SearchContentManagement.com, SearchOracle.com, SearchSAP.com and SearchManufacturingERP.com. These sites are online resources that provide this specialized information to support mission critical business applications, such as CRM, business intelligence, data management,! content ! management, collaboration, sales force automation, databases and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The SMB market supports a high degree of specialization by software vendors, as applications are offered that address the business requirements of specific industry verticals, such as construction, manufacturing, and many others.

The application architecture and development sector is consisted of a broad landscape of tools and languages that enable developers, architects and project managers to build, customize and integrate software for their businesses. The Company�� online properties in this sector include TheServerSide.com and TheServerSide.NET, which host independent communities of developers and architects using Java and .NET respectively.

Its Channel properties address the information needs of channel companies classified as resellers, value added resellers, solution providers, systems integrators, service providers, managed service providers, and consultants in the IT market. Its online properties in this sector include SearchITChannel.com, SearchStorageChannel.com, SearchSecurityChannel.com, SearchNetworkingChannel.com and SearchSystemsChannel.com. TechnologyGuide.com operates a portfolio of Internet content sites that provide product reviews, price comparisons and user forums for technology products, such as laptops, desktops and smartphones. Sites include NotebookReview.com, Brighthand.com (covering smartphones) and TabletPCReview.com, PrinterComparison.com, DesktopReview.com and DigitalCameraReview.com.

User Generated Content and Vendor Content

Bitpipe.com and KnowledgeStorm.com are sites that the Company operates and that host vendor-provided content, such as white papers, software downloads, videocasts and Webcasts. Maintaining centralized collections of this vendor content helps its users conduct pre-purchase research more easily, and allows it to maximize the ability of this content to be found by search engines. It provide! s context! ually relevant inclusion of vendor content from Bitpipe.com and KnowledgeStorm.com on the other sites in its network.

The Company competes with United Business Media, QuinStreet, International Data Group and CBS Interactive/ CNet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Technology shares fell around 0.27 percent in Thursday’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT), down 8.9 percent, and ChinaCache International Holdings (NASDAQ: CCIH), off 4.6 percent.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: Route1 Inc (ROI)

Route1 Inc. (Route1) delivers security and identity management solutions to corporations and government agencies that need universal, secure access to all digital resources and sensitive data. These customers depend on The Power of MobiNET Route1�� communications and service delivery platform. MobiNET provides identity assurance and individualized access to networks and data. The Company operates in two revenue segments: devices and appliances and services. On September 30, 2010, the Company completed of the pilot project to deploy the Company�� DEFIMNET platform, TruOFFICE application software, and MobiKEY Fusion devices to the United States Navy Reserve Forces Command (RESFOR). On April 13, 2010, the Company announced the release of TruOFFICE application software version 2.8 with strengthened security and Windows 7 support. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Ugulini]

  Sentiment and semantics are for greeting cards; stakeholders want Return on Investment (ROI) and will raise a glass of suds to widespread distribution via powerhouse Anheuser-Busch's network over a "craft" distinction for some brands.

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Next, I turned to an evaluation of gross profit margin (gpm), net profit margin (npm), return on assets (roa), return on equity (roe) and return on invested capital (roi). The example below only includes gross and net profit margin, however, I review data on all the metrics stated above.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: Imperva Inc (IMPV)

Imperva, Inc. (Imperva), incorporated on April 2002, is engaged in providing data security solutions focused on providing visibility and control over business data across systems within the data center. The Company�� securesphere data security suite is a solution designed to prioritize and mitigate risks to high-value business data, protect against hackers and malicious insiders and address and streamline regulatory compliance. SecureSphere is an integrated, modular suite, which provides database, file and Web application security and secures all business data across a range of systems in data centers, including traditional on-premise data centers as well as private, public and hybrid cloud computing environments. The Company also offers on-demand, cloud-based security services. The Company has two segments: Imperva, which is comprised of its financial position and results of operations and those of the Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries, and Incapsula, which is comprised of the financial position and results of operations of the Company�� majority owned subsidiary. In February 2014, Imperva Inc acquired real-time mainframe security auditing agents from Tomium Software.

The Company�� products include SecureSphere data security suite for enterprise data centers and its cloud-based security services that it provides through Incapsula for mid-market enterprises and small and medium business (SMBs). The Company�� solution includes database security, file security and Web application security.

Database Security

Database security provides full visibility and control over structured business data repositories, including database data usage, vulnerabilities and access rights and enables security, audit, risk and information technology (IT) professionals to improve data security and address compliance requirements. The database products cover the enterprise database platforms, including Oracle, MS-SQL, IBM DB2, Sybase, Informix, MySQL, Progress, Teradata and ! Netezza. The database security products include discovery and assessment server, database activity monitoring, database firewall, user rights management for databases and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) insights. The discovery and assessment server automates the process of discovering databases and other business data on the network and performs a security assessment to identify risks to high-value business data. Database activity monitoring includes all discovery and assessment server functionality. Database firewall includes database activity monitoring functionality. User rights management for databases enables the management of user rights across heterogeneous enterprise databases by aggregating user rights to illustrate what rights users have to business data. ADC Insights provides user tracking for identifying the real end user behind database transactions.

The Company competes with International Business Machines Corporation, McAfee, Inc. and Oracle Corporation.

File Security

File security provides full visibility and control over unstructured business data repositories, including file ownership, usage and access rights and enables security, audit, risk and information technology (IT) professionals to improve file data security and address compliance requirements. The file security products are designed to secure files, including spreadsheets, presentation slides, word processing documents and portable document format (PDFs) containing high-value business data that its customers store in unstructured repositories, such as file servers, network attached storage and storage area network devices. The File security products include user rights management for files, file activity monitoring and file firewall. User rights management for files enables the management of user access rights across multiple different file storage systems by aggregating user rights based on organizational context and actual file usage to illustrate what rights users have to sensitive ! files. Fi! le activity monitoring includes all user rights management for files functionality. File firewall includes all file activity monitoring functionality, and provides real-time blocking of suspicious activity that violates corporate policies.

The Company competes with EMC Corporation and Symantec Corporation.

Web Application Security

Web application security protects Web applications from large scale cyber attacks, adapts to evolving threats to prevent data breaches and addresses compliance requirements. Its product includes Web application firewall (WAF), which fortifies Web defenses with research-driven intelligence on current threats.

The Company competes with Citrix Systems, Inc. and F5 Networks, Inc.

Cloud-Based Services

The Company�� cloud-based service offerings are its Incapsula service, the Imperva Cloud WAF Service and its ThreatRadar subscription service. The Incapsula service is designed to be easy to deploy and to be accessible to small and medium size businesses that need data security and compliance solutions, but do not have the size or resources to deploy its SecureSphere WAF appliances into their own Website infrastructure. Incapsula�� security and optimization offerings include the services, including Web application firewall services, content delivery optimization and distributed denial of service-attack prevention. Web application firewall services provide enterprise-grade blocking of attacks against Web applications to help ensure Website safety and availability; enhanced security through real-time and centralized threat detection across all protected Websites; allows customers to address compliance requirements. Content delivery optimization optimizes Website performance by reducing page load times, server load and bandwidth consumption. Distributed denial of service-attack prevention blocks malicious attack traffic and allows filtered, legitimate traffic to flow to the customer Website allowing its b! usiness t! o run without interruption.

Imperva Cloud WAF powered by Incapsula, bundles the incapsula service with managed support services from our security operations center (SOC). Managed services include provisioning, security alert notifications and tuning, incident response, real time service dashboard and statistics, customer support and weekly reports on alerts and attack trends. ThreatRadar is an add-on, premium subscription service for the Company�� SecureSphere WAF appliance that recognizes attack sources and dynamically adjusts Web security policies within its SecureSphere WAF appliance to provide protection against them.

The customers include four of the telecommunications companies, three of the commercial banks in the United States, three of the financial data service firms, three of the computer hardware companies, two of the food and drug store companies, over 150 government agencies worldwide and more than 100 Fortune 1000 companies. The Company primarily sells its products and services through its network of over 350 channel partners worldwide, including both distributors and resellers. The Company derives its revenue from sales and licenses of its products and sales of its services. Services revenue consists of maintenance and support, professional services and training and subscriptions. A majority of the Company�� revenue is derived from customers in the Americas region. As of December 31, 2010, 66% of its total revenue was generated from the Americas, 24% from Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 10% from Asia Pacific, and for the six months ended June 30, 2011, 63% of its total revenue was generated from the Americas, 24% from EMEA and 13% from Asia Pacific.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Imperva (NYSE: IMPV) were down 38.35 percent to $30.66 after the company cut its first-quarter outlook. Imperva now expected a loss of $0.40 to $0.44 per share, on revenue of $31 million to $31.5 million.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: Immersion Corporation(IMMR)

Immersion Corporation develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a range of hardware and software technologies and products that enhance digital devices with touch interaction. The company provides haptic technologies that allow people to use their sense of touch when operating a variety of digital devices. It licenses its technologies to the manufacturers of automotive, consumer electronics, gaming, commercial and industrial controls, medical, and mobile communications products under the TouchSense brand. The company?s product portfolio includes TouchSense 1000, TouchSense 2000, TouchSense 3000, TouchSense 4000, TouchSense 5000, and TouchSense 6000. It also offers turn-key engineering and integration services, design kits for prototyping, authoring tools, and application programming interfaces, as well as platform independent solutions. The company operates primarily in North America, Europe, and the Far East. Immersion Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquar tered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Immersion (Nasdaq: IMMR  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Immersion's competitive position could be.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Watch For 2014: MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation (MX)

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation designs and manufactures analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products for high-volume consumer applications. It operates in three segments: Display Solutions, Power Solutions, and Semiconductor Manufacturing Services. The Display Solutions segment offers source and gate drivers, and timing controllers that cover a range of flat panel displays used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), 3D and organic light emitting diode televisions and displays, notebooks, and mobile communications and entertainment devices. The Power Solutions segment develop, manufactures, and markets power management solutions, including metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, power modules, analog switches, LED drivers, DC-DC converters, voice coil motor drivers, and linear regulators. This segment offers its products for a range of devices, including LCD, LED, 3D televisions, smartphones, mobile phones, desktop PCs, notebooks , tablet PCs, and other consumer electronics, as well as for industrial applications, such as power suppliers, LED lighting, and home appliances. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Services segment manufactures various products comprising display drivers, LED drivers, audio encoding and decoding devices, microcontrollers, touch screen controllers, RF switches, park distance control sensors for automotives, electronic tag memories, and power management semiconductors. This segment offers semiconductor manufacturing services to fabless analog and mixed-signal semiconductor companies. MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation provides its products and services to consumer electronics OEMs, subsystem designers, and contract manufacturers through a direct sales force, as well as through a network of authorized agents and distributors in the United States, Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, consumer gadget chip maker MagnaChip Semiconductor (NYSE: MX  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp. (MX) �fell 13% to $12.50 on moderate volume after the company said it incorrectly stated revenue and has to restate its financial statements going back to 2011. Also, the company withdrew its guidance for the fourth quarter.