International Business Machines Corporation

HISTORY

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an information technology company that uses their expertise to provide customer solutions. The company operates primarily in a single industry using several different segments that create value by offering a variety of solutions that include, technologies, systems, products, services, software, and financing (10-K report).

The company’s major operations compromise three hardware product segments. These segments are: technology, personal systems, and enterprise systems. They also offer a global services segment, a software segment, a global financing segment, and an enterprise investments segment (Ibid).

IBM offers its products and services through third-party business partners like distributors and resellers. They also offer these services through its on-line channels (Ibid).

IBM is historically known for their personal computing products. These include: notebooks, desktops, workstations, monitors, and PDA’s. IBM offers many other products and services. They offer upgrades, accessories, and parts. They also offer printing systems, storage systems, networking tools, and servers. In addition, they offer software, business consulting, outsourcing, web hosting, training, and financing (IBM Homepage).

In 1911 the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. (C-T-R) formed by a merger of three companies: the Tabulating Machine Co., the Computing Scale Co., and the International Time Recording Co. The firms joined forces to emerge as one entity incorporated in the state of New York. C-T-R is the precursor of what would become International Business Machines Corporation (Business and Company Resource Center).

In the beginning of the company’s history, they sold time recording equipment, punch cards, mechanical keypunches, vertical sorters, and tabulators (Ibid).

The company first used the name IBM in 1917 when they entered the Canadian market. At this time they had over 3,000 employees and had recently opened a division in Brazil. In 1924, the company officially changed their name to International Business Machine Corporation (Ibid).

In 1952, Thomas Watson, Jr. became IBM’s president. Watson, favoring a push into the computer market, led the company in an immense research program designed to surpass their major competitor, Remington Rand. Because of this research, the IBM 701, the first production computer designed for scientific calculations was introduced (Ibid).

Over the years, IBM has continued to make better, faster computers. However, they have also expanded their business by adding outsourcing, web hosting, networking, and other customer related services.

IBM’s Mission

IBM’s mission is to lead in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics.

IBM translates these advanced technologies into value for customers through professional solutions and services businesses worldwide.

IBM is a technology company that is the world’s largest supplier of advanced information processing technology and communication systems, services and program products. A breakdown of 2000 shows 43% of IBM’s revenues are in hardware, 37% in global services, 14% in software, 4% in global