International Business Machines (IBM) is an multinational computer,technology and IT consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, NewYork, United States. IBM is the world’s fourth largest technology companyand the second most valuable global brand (after Coca-Cola). IBM is oneof the few information technology companies with a continuous historydating back to the 19th century. IBM manufactures and sells computerhardware and software, and offers infrastructure services, hosting services,and consulting services in areasranging from mainframe computersto nanotechnology. At the end ofMay 2010, IBM bought the SterlingCommerce Unit from AT&T for about$1.4 billion. This is the second largestacquisition by IBM.
IBM has an important history of acquisitions and spin-offs. Amongthe famous ones, German SAP was founded in 1972 by five former IBMengineers. Chinese Lenovo became world-famous after acquiring IBM’sThinkpad business in 2005.
IBM’s rich history of discovery andinnovation has brought internationalrecognition. In addition to five Nobel prizes,IBM researchers have been recognized withseven U.S. National Medals of Technology,five National Medals of Science andmemberships in the National Academy ofSciences. IBM Research has more than59 members of the National Academy ofEngineering and well over 300 industryorganization fellows. IBM’s own Frances Allen became the first woman toreceive a Turing Award. The company has seen 6 Turing recipients in total,as well as 11 inductees in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Thomas John Watson, Jr. was the president of IBM from 1952 to1971 and the eldest son of Thomas J. Watson, IBM’s first president. Aftergraduating Watson became a salesman for IBM, but had little interest inthe job. The turning point was his service as a pilot in the Army Air Forceduring World War II. Brother “Dick” (Arthur) Watson had dropped outof Yale as a Major in Ordnance. Watson became a Lieutenant Colonelflying military commanders. Watson later admitted to journalists thatthe one career he would have liked to follow was an airline pilot. Pilotingcame easily to him and for the first time he had confidence in his abilities.
Toward the end of his service Watson worked for Major General FollettBradley, who suggested that he should try to follow his father at IBM.
Watson regularly flew Bradley, the director of lend-lease programs to theSoviet Union, to Moscow during the war. On these trips he learned Russian,which would later serve him well as the American Ambassador to the SovietUnion.
Watson returned to IBM at the beginning of 1946. He was promotedto be a Vice President just six months later and was promoted to the boardjust 3 months after that. He became Executive President in 1952. He ledthe company into a period where it dominated the new computer industry.
Among many honors, he was called “the greatest capitalist in history” andone of “100 most influential people of the 20th century”.
