IBM

International Business Machines (IBM) (NYSE: IBM) is an American multinational computer, technology, business consulting, and IT consulting corporation headquartered inArmonk, New York, United States. IBM is the world's fourth largest technology company and the second most valuable global brand (after Coca-Cola). IBM is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software (with a focus on the latter), and offers infrastructure services, hosting services, and consulting services in areas ranging frommainframe computers to nanotechnology.

IBM has been well known through most of its recent history as the world's largest computer company and systems integrator. With almost 400,000 employees worldwide, IBM is second largest (by market capitalization) and the second most profitable information technology and services employer in the world according to the Forbes 2000 list with sales of greater than 100 billion US dollars. IBM holds more patents than any other U.S. based technology company and has nine research laboratories worldwide. The company has scientists, engineers, consultants, and sales professionals in over 200 countries. IBM employees have earned five Nobel Prizes, four Turing Awards, nine National Medals of Technology, and five National Medals of Science. As a chip maker, IBM has been among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders in past years.

History

The company which became IBM was founded in 1896 as the Tabulating Machine Company by Herman Hollerith, in Broome County, New York (Endicott, New York or Binghamton, New York), where IBM still maintains very limited operations. It was incorporated as Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation on June 16, 1911, and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916 by George Winthrop Fairchild. CTR's Canadian and later South American subsidiary was named International Business Machines in 1917, and the whole company took this name in 1924 when Thomas J. Watson took control of it.

Since November 1910, a Hollerith subsidiary existed in Germany, the DEHOMAG (Deutsche Hollerith-Maschinen GmbH), founded as a license holder from the Tabulating Machine Company. In 1922, the renamed CTR took over 90% of DEHOMAG, which was in license debt due to the German inflation 1914-1923. In 1949 DEHOMAG finally took the name IBM Germany.

IBM has an important history of acquisitions and spin-offs. Among the famous ones, German SAP was founded in 1972 by five former IBM engineers. Chinese Lenovo became world-famous after acquiring IBM's Thinkpad business in 2005.

Website: http://www.ibm.com