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).
&n ...