International Business Machines.
IBM is the abbreviated form of International Business Machines Corporation.
IBM is nicknamed ‘Big Blue’ due to the blue color in its logo and products. It is a highly reputed and popular MNC and IT consulting organization. IBM was founded on June 16, 1911, by Charles Ranlett Flint and Thomas J. Watson. It is headquartered in Armonk, New York. At present, the CEO of IBM is Arvind Krishna. Thomas John Watson Sr named IBM.
This article covers the history, product and service range, and developments of International Business Machines Corporation (full form of IBM).
Let’s begin!
What is IBM?
IBM is a multinational IT company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Its diversified range of products has captured markets in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, computer hardware, and computer software. IBM also caters to the service industry with excellent services like outsourcing and consulting through its branches in 170 countries.
History of IBM
- In 1911, Charles Ranlett Flint formed a company named Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR), based in Endicott, New York. CTR was formed by the amalgamation of four other companies offering products like the Dial Recorder, Electric Tabulating Machine, Time Clock, and Computing Scale, invented and patented by the respective owners of these companies.
- Initially, machinery like commercial scales, meat and cheese slicer, tabulators, punch cards, and industrial time recorders was manufactured for sale and lease by the CTR Company,
- In 1924, the company’s title was replaced by a more expansive one “International Business Machines” by Thomas J. Watson, who joined the company as the General Manager.
- Inventions: The company’s famous inventions and developments include the Automated Teller Machine (ATM), the electronic keypunch, the financial swap, Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), the floppy disk, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the hard disk drive, RISC, the SABRE airline reservation system, the Universal Product Code (UPC), SQL, bar code, and virtual machine.
- Arvind Krishna is the present CEO of IBM.
Products and Services Offered by IBM
- Its product range can be divided into categories like cloud computing, blockchain, software development mobile applications, mobile security and device management, API gateway, Data sets, IT infrastructure and management, Automation, Analytics, etc.
- Wide range of services by delivering the know-how of Business Consultation and Resiliency, Finance, Commerce, Supply Chain Management, Cloud, Digital Workspace, Network, Technology, etc.
Accomplishments of IBM
- In 1956, IBM demonstrated the first practical example of artificial intelligence.
- In 1957, developed the scientific programming language FORTRAN.
- In 1961, developed the SABRE reservation system for American Airlines and introduced the highly successful Selectric typewriter.
- In 1963, helped NASA track the orbital flights of the Mercury astronauts.
- Continued its support of space exploration, participating in the 1965 Gemini flights, 1966 Saturn flights, and 1969 lunar mission.
- In 1964, IBM announced the first computer system family, the IBM System/360
- In 1981, the World Bank introduced financial swaps to the public in the IBM PC, originally designated IBM 5150.
- In 1991, altered its printer manufacturing into a new business called Lexmark.
- In 2005, sold its computer business to Chinese technology company Lenovo.
- In 2009, IBM acquired software company SPSS Inc.
- In October 2018, it announced its intention to acquire Red Hat for $34 billion.
- The company’s revenue stands at US$79591 million, and the total number of employees is 366600 as of 2018. It is one of the companies employing the highest number of employees.
Conclusion
The International Business Machines (IBM) company was the top mainframe computer supplier in the 1970s and over the years. IBM has also escalated its business to focus on modern technology fields such as cognitive computing and cloud-based services.
As you can see, IBM has achieved a lot over the years.
Inventions include the ATM, the floppy disk, the magnetic stripe card, the hard disk drive, the SQL programming language, the relational database, the UPC barcode, DRAM, and much more.
Through this article you must have learned a lot about IBM, the computer company that almost invented half the technology that got you to work today.
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