IBM

International Business Machines Corporation, doing business as IBM (nicknamed Big Blue), is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York. It is a publicly traded company and one of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. IBM is the largest industrial research organization in the world, with facilities across many countries, and for many years it held the record for the most annual U.S. patents.

IBM was founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. It became known for creating the IBM mainframe, which dominated computing in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981, IBM entered the microcomputer market with the IBM Personal Computer, which shaped the design of most personal computers used today.

Over the years, IBM has shifted its focus to computer services, software, supercomputers, and scientific research. It has contributed to many important technologies, such as the Automated Teller Machine, the floppy disk, and quantum computing. IBM continues to be a leader in innovation, working on advanced computer chips and artificial intelligence.

History

Main article: History of IBM

IBM started with several inventions from the late 1800s. Important early technologies included computing scales, dial recorders, electric tabulating machines, and time clocks. In 1911, these businesses combined to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR). Thomas J. Watson, Sr. joined CTR in 1914 and became president a year later. Under his leadership, the company grew quickly and changed its name to International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924.

During World War II, IBM developed important technologies such as the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator and introduced its first commercial stored-program computer, the IBM 701, in 1952. The company also created the first hard disk drive with the IBM 305 RAMAC in 1956. In the 1960s, IBM launched the IBM System/360, a family of computers that could handle many different tasks. This was followed by the IBM System/370 in 1970, which became very popular.

In the 1980s, IBM entered the personal computer market with the IBM Personal Computer, which had a big impact on the industry. Later, IBM worked with Microsoft to develop the OS/2 operating system, but it didn’t become as popular as Microsoft’s Windows.

In the 1990s, IBM made many changes to its structure and bought several companies. In 1997, its chess computer Deep Blue beat the world chess champion. In the 2000s, IBM sold its personal computer business to Lenovo and focused more on software and services. In 2011, IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence program appeared on the TV show Jeopardy! and won. Since then, IBM has continued to grow through acquisitions and partnerships, focusing on areas like artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Corporate affairs

IBM is a big technology company with a market value of over $153 billion as of May 2024. It is the seventh largest technology company by revenue and the 68th largest company in the United States. In 2024, IBM's revenue was $14.5 billion, with strong growth in software, especially in hybrid cloud and AI.

IBM is run by a board of directors that includes leaders from other major companies and universities. The Vanguard Group is the largest shareholder, owning about 15.7% of IBM's shares. The company's main office is in Armonk, New York, known as the "Colossus of Armonk." IBM has offices in many countries, with important locations in Austin, Texas, Research Triangle Park (Raleigh-Durham), North Carolina, Rochester, Minnesota, and Silicon Valley, California. Notable buildings around the world include 1250 René-Lévesque in Montreal and Pangu Plaza in Beijing.

Products

See also: List of IBM products

IBM offers many different products and services. These include cloud computing, artificial intelligence, commerce, data and analytics, the Internet of things (IoT), IT infrastructure, mobile technology, digital workplaces, and cybersecurity.

IBM makes special computers called mainframe computers, with the latest being the IBM z series. In 2019, IBM created its first commercial quantum computing machine, the IBM Q System One. IBM also provides many software services, including SPSS for statistical analysis and The Weather Company for weather forecasts. Additionally, IBM has a large consulting business with experts around the world.

Research

Research has always been important at IBM. It started in 1945 when IBM set up its first lab at Columbia University. Today, IBM Research is the biggest tech research group in the world, with labs on six continents. Major labs include the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, the Almaden lab in California, and others in places like Australia, Brazil, Israel, India, and Japan.

IBM spends billions each year on research and development. In 2024, it spent about $7.48 billion. Some of this money goes to new technologies like cloud computing and computer chips. IBM has also helped develop many important inventions, such as the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, and the Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code.

Patents

As of 2021, IBM holds the record for the most annual U.S. patents generated by a business for 29 straight years. In 2001, IBM was the first company to earn more than 3,000 patents in one year. By 2022, IBM had over 150,000 patents in total.

Brand and reputation

IBM is nicknamed Big Blue because of its blue logo and color scheme, and its former dress code of white shirts with blue suits. The current "8-bar" logo was designed in 1972 by graphic designer Paul Rand. For many years, IBM used the typeface Helvetica, but in 2017, it switched to a custom font called IBM Plex.

IBM has built a strong brand through over 100 years of business and marketing. Since 1996, IBM has been the exclusive technology partner for the Masters Tournament, helping create many firsts in sports technology, like the first live streaming app for the iPhone. IBM also sponsors many big sports events, including the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Games. In Japan, IBM even has its own American football team called the "Big Blue".

People and culture

IBM is one of the world's largest employers, with over 297,900 employees worldwide in 2022, including about 160,000 tech consultants. The company offers special programs for its workers, such as the Extreme Blue internship and the prestigious IBM Fellow award.

Many people who worked at IBM later became famous in other fields. For example, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Ross Perot, a former presidential candidate, both worked at IBM. Others have led big companies, served in government, or even won important awards like the Nobel Prize.

Leadership

IBM has had many leaders who helped guide the company through different times. Some of the important presidents include Thomas J. Watson, who led from 1911 to 1949, and more recent leaders like Arvind Krishna, who has been president since 2020.

The chairmen of the board, who also play a key role in IBM's direction, include George Winthrop Fairchild, who served from 1915 to 1949, and current chairman Arvind Krishna, who has held the position since 2020. These leaders have helped shape IBM into the big technology company it is today.