IBM
{{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Otheruses6|IBM (disambiguation)|Big Blue}}
{{Infobox company 
|company_name = International Business Machines Corporation 
|company_logo = [[Image:IBM logo.svg|200px|IBM logo]] 
|company_type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{nyse|IBM}}) 
|foundation = [[Endicott, New York|Endicott]], [[New York]], [[United States|U.S.]] (1889, incorporated 1911)
|location_city = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Armonk, New York|Armonk]], [[New York]] 
|location_country = USA 
|slogan = On Demand Business, in demand people 
|key_people = [[Samuel J. Palmisano]], Chairman & CEO<br /> [[Mark Loughridge]], SVP & CFO<br />[[Dan Fortin]], President (Canada)<br />Frank Kern, President (Asia Pacific)<br />[[Nick Donofrio]], EVP (Innovation & Technology)<br />Mike Rhodin, President IOT Northeast Europe<br />Dominique Cerutti, President IOT Southwest Europe 
|industry = [[Computer hardware]]<br />[[Computer software]]<br />[[Consultant|Consulting]]<br />[[IT Service Management|IT Services]] 
|products = [[List of IBM products|See products listing]] 
|revenue = {{profit}} $98.8 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (+4% [[Fiscal year|FY]] [[2007|'07]] to [[2008|'08]])|<ref name="morningstar">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/investor/4q06/4q06earnings.phtml |title=IBM 4Q06 Quarterly Earnings Report |accessdate=2007-01-18 |publisher=IBM}}</ref> 
|net_income = {{profit}} $10.8 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (+18% [[Fiscal year|FY]] [[2007|'07]] to [[2008|'08]])|<ref name="morningstar"/><br /> (9.3% [[profit margin]]<ref name="reuters">{{cite web|url=http://www.investor.reuters.com/business/BusCompanyOverview.aspx?ticker=IBM&target=%2fbusiness%2fbuscompany%2fbuscompfake%2fbuscompoverview&cotype=1M |title=IBM: Company Overview |accessdate=2006-06-27 |publisher=[[Reuters]] }}</ref>)
|num_employees = 386,558 (2007)
|subsid = [[ADSTAR]]<br />[[FileNet]]<br />[[Informix]]<br />[[Iris Associates]]<br />[[Lotus Software]]<br />[[Rational Software]]<br />[[Sequent Computer Systems]]<br />[[Tivoli Systems, Inc.]] 
|homepage = [http://www.ibm.com/ www.ibm.com] 
|footnotes =
}}
[[Image:Ibmcorporateheadquartersentrance.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Entrance to IBM's secure headquarters complex in Armonk]]
'''International Business Machines Corporation,''' abbreviated '''IBM''' and nicknamed '''"Big Blue,"''' {{nyse|IBM}}, is a [[multinational corporation|multinational]] [[computer]] [[technology]] and [[consulting]] [[corporation]] headquartered in [[Armonk, New York]], [[United States of America|USA]]. The company is one of the few [[information technology]] companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. IBM manufactures and sells computer [[computer hardware|hardware]] and [[computer software|software]], and offers infrastructure services, [[Internet hosting service|hosting services]], and [[consultant|consulting services]] in areas ranging from [[mainframe computer]]s to [[nanotechnology]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/research.nsf/pages/r.nanotech.html |title=Nanotechnology & Nanoscience}}</ref> 

IBM has been known through most of its recent history as the world's largest computer company; with over 388,000 employees worldwide, IBM is the largest [[information technology]] employer in the world. Despite falling behind [[Hewlett-Packard]] in total revenue since 2006, it remains the most profitable. 
IBM holds more [[patent]]s than any other U.S. based technology company.<ref name="patents">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/news/us/en/2006/01/2006_01_10.html|title=IBM maintains patent lead, moves to increase patent quality|date=[[2006-01-10]]|}}</ref> It has engineers and consultants in over 170 countries and [[IBM Research]] has eight laboratories worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.research.ibm.com/worldwide/|title=Worldwide IBM Research Locations|publisher=IBM|accessdate=2006-06-21}}</ref> IBM employees have earned three [[Nobel Prize]]s, four [[Turing Award]]s, five [[National Medal of Technology|National Medals of Technology]], and five [[National Medal of Science|National Medals of Science]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.research.ibm.com/about/awards.shtml |title=Awards & Achievements |accessdate=2006-07-01 |publisher=IBM}}</ref> As a chip maker, IBM has been among the [[Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders]] in past years, and in 2007 IBM ranked second in the list of largest software companies in the world.<ref name="Software Top 100: the world's largest software companies">{{cite web|url=http://www.softwaretop100.org|title=Software Top 100: the world's largest software companies|date=[[2008-04-28]]|}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of IBM}}
{{seealso|Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR)|Herman Hollerith}}
{{seealso|List of IBM products}}
The company which became IBM was founded in 1896 as the Tabulating Machine Company<ref>Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray, "Computer a History of the Information Machine - Second Edition", Westview Press, page 37 2004</ref> by [[Herman Hollerith]], in [[Broome County, New York]] ([[Endicott, New York]], Where it still maintains very limited operations). It was incorporated as [[Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR)]] on [[June 16]], [[1911]], and was listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]] in 1916. IBM adopted its current name in 1924, when it became a [[Fortune 500]] company.

In the 1950s, IBM became the dominant vendor in the emerging [[computer]] industry with the release of the [[IBM 701]] and other models in the [[IBM 700/7000 series]] of [[mainframes]].  The company's dominance became even more pronounced in the 1960s and 1970s with the [[IBM System/360]] and [[IBM System/370]] mainframes, however antitrust actions by the [[United States Department of Justice]], the rise of [[minicomputer]] companies like [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] and [[Data General]], and the introduction of the [[microprocessor]] all contributed to dilution of IBM's position in the industry, eventually leading the company to diversify into other areas including personal computers, software, and services.

In 1981 IBM introduced the [[IBM Personal Computer]] which is the original version and progenitor of the [[IBM PC compatible]] hardware [[platform (computing)|platform]]. Descendants of the IBM PC compatibles make up the majority of [[microcomputer]]s on the market today.  IBM sold its PC division to the Chinese company [[Lenovo]] on [[May 1]], [[2005]] for $655 million in cash and $600 million in Lenovo stock. 

On [[January 25]], [[2007]], [[Ricoh]] announced purchase of IBM Printing Systems Division for $725 million and investment in 3-year joint venture to form a new Ricoh subsidiary, [[InfoPrint Solutions Company]]; Ricoh will own a 51% share, and IBM will own a 49% share in ''InfoPrint''.

===Controversies=== 
{{mainarticle|IBM and the Holocaust}}
The author [[Edwin Black]] has alleged that, during [[World War II]], IBM CEO [[Thomas J. Watson]] used overseas subsidiaries to provide the [[Third Reich]] with [[Unit record equipment|unit record]] [[data processing]] machines, supplies and services that helped the [[Nazis]] to efficiently track down European Jews, with sizable profits for the company. IBM denies that they had control over these subsidiaries after the Nazis took power. A lawsuit against IBM based on these allegations was dismissed. 
In support of the Allied war effort in World War II, from 1943 to 1945 IBM produced approximately 346,500 M1 Carbine (Caliber .30 carbine) light rifles for the U.S. Military.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/828.wss|title=Addendum to IBM Statement on Nazi-era Book and Lawsuit}}</ref>

==Current projects==
===Eclipse===
<!--  Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:ibm pc xt.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[IBM PC XT]] personal computer.]] -->
{{Main|Eclipse (software)}}
Eclipse is a platform-independent, [[Java (programming language)|Java]]-based [[software framework]]. Eclipse was originally a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] product developed by IBM as a successor of the [[VisualAge]] family of tools. Eclipse has subsequently been released as [[free software|free]]/[[open source]] software under the [[Eclipse Public License]].

===developerWorks===
{{Main|developerWorks}}
developerWorks is a website run by [[IBM]] for [[software developer]]s and IT professionals. It contains a large number of how-to articles and tutorials, as well as software downloads and code samples, discussion forums, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and other resources for developers and technical professionals. Subjects range from open, industry-standard technologies like [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[Linux]], [[Service-oriented architecture|SOA]] and [[web services]], [[web development]], [[Ajax (programming)|Ajax]], [[PHP]], and [[XML]] to IBM's products ([[WebSphere]], [[Rational Software|Rational]], [[Lotus Software|Lotus]], [[Tivoli Systems, Inc.|Tivoli]] and [[IBM DB2|DB2]]). In 2007 developerWorks was inducted into the Jolt Hall of Fame.<ref name="developerWorksJoltHallofFame">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/moc?entry=dw_wins_jolt_hall_of
 |title=developerWorks blogs : Michael O'Connell : dW wins Jolt Hall of Fame award; Booch, Ambler, dW authors also honored
 |publisher=[[IBM]]
 |date=2007-03-27
 |accessdate=2007-04-23 
}}</ref>

===alphaWorks===
{{Main|alphaWorks}}
alphaWorks is IBM's source for emerging software technologies. These technologies include:
*'''Flexible Internet Evaluation Report Architecture''' - A highly flexible architecture for the design, display, and reporting of Internet surveys.
*'''[[IBM History Flow tool|IBM History Flow Visualization Application]]''' - A tool for visualizing dynamic, evolving documents and the interactions of multiple collaborating authors. 
*'''IBM [[Linux]] on POWER Performance Simulator''' - A tool that provides users of Linux on Power a set of performance models for IBM's POWER processors.
*'''Database File Archive And Restoration Management''' - An application for archiving and restoring hard disk files using file references stored in a database.
*'''Policy Management for Autonomic Computing''' - A policy-based autonomic management infrastructure that simplifies the automation of IT and business processes.
*'''FairUCE''' - A spam filter that verifies sender identity instead of filtering content.
*'''Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) SDK''' - A Java SDK that supports the implementation, composition, and deployment of applications working with unstructured information.
*'''Accessibility Browser''' - A web-browser specifically designed to assist people with visual impairments, to be released as open-source software. Also known as the "A-Browser," the technology will aim to eliminate the need for a mouse, relying instead completely on voice-controls, buttons and predefined shortcut keys.

===Semiconductor design and manufacturing===
[[Image:Broadwaycpu.JPG|right|thumb|IBM's Wii "Broadway" CPU]]
Virtually all modern [[video game console|console gaming systems]] use [[IC design|microprocessors developed]] by IBM. The [[Xbox 360]] contains the [[Xenon (processor)|Xenon]] tri-core processor, which was designed and produced by IBM in less than 24 months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/chips/news/2005/1025_xbox.html|title=IBM delivers Power-based chip for Microsoft Xbox 360 worldwide launch|publisher=IBM|date=[[2005-10-25]]}}</ref> Sony's [[PlayStation 3]] features the [[Cell microprocessor| Cell BE microprocessor]] designed jointly by IBM, [[Toshiba]], and [[Sony]]. [[Nintendo]]'s [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh-generation]] console, [[Wii]], features an IBM chip codenamed [[Broadway (microprocessor)|Broadway]]. The older [[Nintendo GameCube]] also utilizes the [[Gekko (microprocessor)|Gekko]] processor, designed by IBM.

In May 2002, IBM and Butterfly.net, Inc. announced the Butterfly Grid, a commercial [[grid computing|grid]] for the online video gaming market.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/industries/media/doc/content/news/pressrelease/359248111.html|title=Butterfly and IBM introduce first video game industry computing grid|date=[[2002-05-09]]|publisher=IBM}}</ref> In March 2006, IBM announced separate agreements with Hoplon Infotainment, Online Game Services Incorporated (OGSI), and RenderRocket to provide on-demand content management and [[blade server]] computing resources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/industries/media/doc/content/news/pressrelease/1551338111.html|title=IBM joins forces with game companies around the world to accelerate innovation|date=[[2006-03-21]]|publisher=IBM}}</ref>

===Open Client Offering===
IBM announced it will launch its new software, called "Open Client Offering" which is to run on [[Microsoft]]'s [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]] and [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[Macintosh]]. The company states that its new product allows businesses to offer employees a choice of using the same software on Windows and its alternatives. This means that "Open Client Offering" is to cut costs of managing whether Linux or Apple relative to Windows. There will be no necessity for companies to pay Microsoft for its licenses for operations since the operations will no longer rely on software which is Windows-based. One of Microsoft's office alternatives is the Open Document Format software, whose development IBM supports. It is going to be used for several tasks like: word processing, presentations, along with collaboration with [[Lotus Notes]], instant messaging and blog tools as well as an [[Internet Explorer]] competitor – the [[Firefox]] web browser. IBM plans to install Open Client on 5 percent of its desktop PCs.

===UC2: Unified Communications and Collaboration===
'''UC2''' (''Unified Communications and Collaboration'') is an IBM and [[Cisco]] joint project based on [[Eclipse (software)|Eclipse]] and [[OSGi]]. It will offer the numerous Eclipse application developers a unified platform for an easier work environment.

The software based on UC2 platform will provide major enterprises with easy-to-use communication solutions, such as the Lotus based [[Sametime]]. In the future the Sametime users will benefit from such additional functions as [[click-to-call]] and [[Voicemail|voice mailing]].<ref>[http://www.infoniac.com/hi-tech/ibm-cisco-uc2.html IBM and Cisco: Attempt to Unite the Communication Software Developers]</ref>

===Internal programs===
[[Extreme Blue]] is a company initiative that uses experienced IBM engineers, talented interns, and business managers to develop high-value technology. The project is designed to analyze emerging business needs and the technologies that can solve them. These projects mostly involve rapid-prototyping of high-profile software and hardware projects.

In May 2007, IBM unveiled [[Project Big Green]] -- a re-direction of $1 billion per year across its businesses to increase energy efficiency.

==IBM Software Group==
This group is one of the major divisions of IBM. The various brands include:
* [[IBM Information Management Software|Information Management Software]] &mdash; database servers and tools, text analytics, content management, business process management and business intelligence.
* [[Lotus Software]] &mdash; Groupware, collaboration and business software. Acquired in 1995.
* [[Rational Software]] &mdash; Software development and application lifecycle management. Acquired in 2002.
* [[Tivoli Software]] &mdash; Systems management. Acquired in 1996.
* [[IBM WebSphere|WebSphere]] &mdash; Integration and application infrastructure software.

==Environmental record==
IBM has a long history of dealing with its environmental problems. It established a corporate policy on environmental protection in 1971, with the support of a comprehensive global environmental management system. According to IBM’s stats, its total hazardous waste decreased by 44 percent over the past five years, and has decreased by 94.6 percent since 1987. IBM's total hazardous waste calculation consists of waste from both non-manufacturing and manufacturing operations. Waste from manufacturing operations includes waste recycled in closed-loop systems where process chemicals are recovered and for subsequent reuse, rather than just disposing and using new chemical materials. Over the years, IBM has redesigned processes to eliminate almost all closed loop recycling and now uses more environmental-friendly materials in their place.<ref>http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/world/environmental/pollution.shtml ibm.com. "Environmental Protection" [[May 3]], [[2008]]</ref>

IBM was recognized as one of the "Top 20 Best Workplaces for Commuters" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ([[EPA]]) in 2005. This was to recognize the Fortune 500 companies that provided their employees with excellent commuter benefits that helped reduce traffic and air pollution.<ref>http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/world/environmental/index.shtml "Environmental Protection", [[May 3]], [[2008]]</ref>

However, the birthplace of IBM, [[Endicott, New York|Endicott]], suffered IBM's pollution for decades. IBM used liquid cleaning agents in its circuit board assembly operation for more than two decades, and six spills and leaks incidents were recorded, including one 1979 leak of 4,100 gallons from an underground tank. These left behind volatile organic compounds in the town's soil and aquifer. Trace elements of volatile organic compounds have been identified in the Endicott’s drinking water, but the levels are within regulatory limits. Also, from 1980, IBM has pumped out 78,000 gallons of chemicals, including trichloroethane, Freon, benzene and perchloroethene to the air and allegedly caused several cancer cases among the villagers. IBM Endicott has been identified by the Department of Environmental Conservation as the major source of pollution, though traces of contaminants from a local dry cleaner and other polluters were also found. Despite the amount of pollutant, state health officials cannot say whether air or water pollution in Endicott has actually caused any health problems. Village officials say tests show that the water is safe to drink.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DF1631F936A25750C0A9629C8B63&fta=y "In an I.B.M. Village, Pollution Fears Taint Relations With Neighbors". [[March 15]], [[2004]]. New York Times Online. [[May 1]], [[2008]]</ref>

=== Solar power ===

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TOK) and IBM are collaborating to establish new, low-cost methods for bringing the next generation of solar energy products to market,this is, [[CIGS]] (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) [[solar cell]] modules. Use of [[thin film]] technology, such as CIGS, has great promise in reducing the overall cost of solar cells and further enabling their widespread adoption.<ref>http://www.tok.co.jp/en/news/2008/pdf/080616.pdf</ref> <ref>http://www.ibm.com/ibm/green/index.shtml</ref>

IBM is exploring four main areas of photovoltaic research: using current technologies to develop cheaper and more efficient [[silicon]] [[solar cell]]s, developing new solution processed [[thin film]] photovoltaic devices, [[concentrator photovoltaics]], and future generation photovoltaic architectures based upon [[nanostructures]] such as [[semiconductor quantum dot]]s and [[nanowire]]s. <ref name="autogenerated1">http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/24203.wss</ref>

Dr. Supratik Guha is the leading scientist in IBM photovoltaics. <ref name="autogenerated1" />

==Corporate culture of IBM==

'''Big Blue''' is a nickname for IBM; several theories exist regarding its origin. One theory, substantiated by people who worked for IBM at the time, is that IBM field reps coined the term in the 1960s, referring to the color of the mainframes IBM installed in the 1960s and early 1970s. "All blue" was a term used to describe a loyal IBM customer, and business writers later picked up the term.<ref name="Big Blue">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0791467872&id=Da1bPYRyltMC&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=big+blue+ibm&sig=FPSSsYmtECcBzM24IS7B7E0mp5k|title=Postphenomenology: A Critical Companion to Ihde |pages=228|id=ISBN 0-7914-6787-2|year=2006|publisher=State University of New York Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN2880467500&id=5zAW7RntiD8C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=big+blue+ibm&sig=WWlqsstQ56JS_7SF7vOWanVPuUU|title=Logos, Letterheads & Business Cards: Design for Profit |pages=15|id=ISBN 2-88046-750-0|year=2004|publisher=Rotovision}}</ref> Another theory suggests that Big Blue simply refers to the Company's [[logo]]. A third theory suggests that Big Blue refers to a former company dress code that required many IBM employees to wear only white shirts and many wore blue suits.<ref>{{cite book|pages=55|title=The Essential Guide to Computing: The Story of Information Technology|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0130194697&id=AwrQsOW5SsQC&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=big+blue+ibm&sig=IsUsDM2yvj0SFH4LDUoBcL6uXGE|publisher=Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR|id=ISBN 0-13-019469-7|}}</ref><ref name="Big Blue"/> In any event, IBM keyboards, typewriters, and some other manufactured devices, have played on the "Big Blue" concept, using the color for enter keys and carriage returns.

===Sales===
IBM has often been described as having a sales-centric or a sales-oriented business culture. Traditionally, many IBM executives and general managers are chosen from the sales force. The current CEO, [[Sam Palmisano]], for example, joined the company as a salesman and, unusually for CEOs of major corporations, has no MBA or postgraduate qualification. Middle and top management are often enlisted to give direct support to salesmen when pitching sales to important customers.

===The uniform===
A dark (or gray) suit, white shirt, and a "sincere" tie<ref name="Strategic Marketing">{{cite book
 |last=Smith
 |first=Paul Russell
 |title=Strategic Marketing Communications: New Ways to Build and Integrate Communications
 |publisher=Kogan Page
 |year=1999
 |pages=24
 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HYvbeQLf_gEC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=%22sincere+tie%22+ibm&source=web&ots=Kw2MtbuPZP&sig=rn5mVJGMaVXmm4d7wC9SaQMzfIs
 |isbn=0749429186 }}</ref> was the public uniform for IBM employees for most of the 20th Century. During IBM's management transformation in the 1990s, CEO [[Lou Gerstner]] relaxed these codes, normalizing the dress and behavior of IBM employees to resemble their counterparts in other large technology companies.

===IBM company values and "Jam"===
In 2003, IBM embarked on an ambitious project to rewrite company values. Using its ''Jam'' technology, the company hosted Intranet-based online discussions on key business issues with 50,000 employees over 3 days. The discussions were analyzed by sophisticated text analysis software (eClassifier) to mine online comments for themes. As a result of the 2003 Jam, the company values were updated to reflect three modern business, marketplace and employee views: "Dedication to every client's success", "Innovation that matters - for our company and for the world", "Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/ibm/sjp/04-27-2004.html|title=Speeches|author=Samuel J. Palmisano|publisher=IBM|date=[[2004-04-27]]}}</ref> 

In 2004, another Jam was conducted during which 52,000 employees exchanged best practices for 72 hours. They focused on finding actionable ideas to support implementation of the values previously identified. A new post-Jam Ratings event was developed to allow IBMers to select key ideas that support the values. The board of directors cited this Jam when awarding Palmisano a pay rise in the spring of 2005.<ref>{{cite journal
 |title=Leading Change When Business Is Good: The HBR Interview--Samuel J. Palmisano
 |journal=Harvard Business Review 
 |publisher=Harvard University Press
 |month=December | year=2004}}</ref>

In July and September 2006, Palmisano launched another jam called [https://www.globalinnovationjam.com/ InnovationJam]. InnovationJam was the largest online brainstorming session ever with more than 150,000 participants from 104 countries. The participants were IBM employees, members of IBM employees' families, universities, partners, and customers. InnovationJam was divided in two sessions (one in July and one in September) for 72 hours each and generated more than 46,000 ideas. In November 2006, IBM declared that they will invest $US 100 million in the 10 best ideas from InnovationJam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/11/14/HNibminvestnewareas_1.html |title=IBM to invest $100M in new business areas|date=2006-11-14 }}</ref>

===Open source===
IBM has been influenced by the [[Open Source Initiative]], and began supporting [[Linux]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/news/1999/03/02.phtml |title=IBM launches biggest Linux lineup ever |date=[[1999-03-02]] |publisher=IBM |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19991110114228/http://www.ibm.com/news/1999/03/02.phtml |archivedate=1999-11-10}}</ref> The company invests billions of dollars in services and software based on [[Linux]] through the IBM [[Linux Technology Center]], which includes over 300 [[Linux kernel]] developers.<ref>{{cite web|title=IBM invests in Brazil Linux Tech Center|url=http://lwn.net/Articles/185602/|date=[[2006-05-24]]|publisher=[[LWN.net]]|author=Farrah Hamid|}}</ref> IBM has also released code under different [[open-source license]]s, such as the platform-independent software framework [[Eclipse (software)|Eclipse]] (worth approximately US$40 million at the time of the donation)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-erick.html|title=Interview: The Eclipse code donation|date=[[2001-11-01]]|publisher=IBM}}</ref> and the [[Java (programming language)|Java]]-based [[relational database management system]] (RDBMS) [[Apache Derby]]. IBM's open source involvement has not been trouble-free, however (see ''[[SCO v. IBM]]'').

== Corporate affairs ==
=== Diversity and workforce issues ===
IBM's efforts to promote workforce diversity and equal opportunity date back at least to [[World War I]], when the company hired disabled veterans. IBM was the only technology company ranked in ''Working Mother'' magazine's Top 10 for 2004, and one of two technology companies in 2005 (the other company being Hewlett-Packard).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workingwoman.com/top10.html |title=100 best companies for working mothers 2004 |publisher=Working Mother Media, Inc. |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041017073511/http://www.workingwoman.com/top10.html |archivedate=2004-10-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workingwoman.com/top10.html |title=100 best companies 2005 |publisher=Working Mother Media, Inc.| |accessdate=2006-06-26}}</ref>

On [[September 21]], [[1953]], [[Thomas J. Watson]], the CEO at the time, sent out a very controversial letter to all IBM employees stating that IBM needed to hire the best people, regardless of their race, ethnic origin, or gender.  In 1984, IBM added sexual preference.  He stated that this would give IBM a competitive advantage because IBM would then be able to hire talented people its competitors would turn down.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-03.ibm.com/employment/us/diverse/50/tc.shtml|title=IBM's EO Policy letter is IBM's foundation for diversity|publisher=IBM}}</ref>

The company has traditionally resisted [[trade union|labor union]] organizing, although unions represent some IBM workers outside the United States. 

In the 1990s, two major [[pension]] program changes, including a conversion to a cash balance plan, resulted in an employee [[class action]] lawsuit alleging [[age discrimination]]. IBM employees won the lawsuit and arrived at a partial settlement, although appeals are still underway. IBM also settled a major overtime class-action lawsuit in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lisahome.blogspot.com/2006/11/ibm-settles-overtime-lawsuit-for-65.html|title=IBM settles overtime lawsuit for $65 million}}</ref>

Historically IBM has had a good reputation of long-term staff retention with few large scale layoffs. In more recent years there have been a number of broad sweeping cuts to the workforce as IBM attempts to adapt to changing market conditions and a declining profit base. After posting weaker than expected revenues in the first quarter of 2005, IBM eliminated 14,500 positions from its workforce, predominantly in Europe. In May 2005, IBM Ireland said to staff that the MD(Micro-electronics Division) facility was closing down by the end of 2005 and offered a settlement to staff. However, all staff that wished to stay with the Company were redeployed within IBM Ireland. The production moved to a company called Amkor in Singapore who purchased IBM's Microelectronics business in Singapore and is widely agreed that IBM promised this Company a full load capacity in return for the purchase of the facility. On [[June 8]] [[2005]], IBM Canada Ltd. eliminated approximately 700 positions. IBM projects these as part of a strategy to "rebalance" its portfolio of professional skills & businesses. [[IBM India]] and other IBM offices in [[China]], the [[Philippines]] and [[Costa Rica]] have been witnessing a recruitment boom and steady growth in number of employees due to lower wages.

On [[October 10]] [[2005]], IBM became the first major company in the world to formally commit to not using [[genetic testing|genetic information]] in its employment decisions. This came just a few months after IBM announced its support of the [[National Geographic Society]]'s [[The Genographic Project|Genographic Project]].

==== Gay rights ====
IBM provides employees' same-sex partners with benefits and provides an anti-discrimination clause. The [[Human Rights Campaign]] has consistently rated IBM 100% on its index of gay-friendliness since 2003 (in 2002, the year it began compiling its report on major companies, IBM scored 86%).<ref>[http://w3.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Search_the_Database&Template=/CustomSource/WorkNet/srch_dtl.cfm&srchtype=QS&searchid=34&orgid=1238 HRC Corporate Equality Index Score] ''International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) profile''</ref>

===Logos===
<gallery>
Image:Original IBM Logo.png|The [[logo]] that was used from 1924 to 1946. The logo is in a form intended to suggest a globe, girdled by the word "International".<ref>"[http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/logo/logo_5.html IBM Archives: International Business Machines (1924-1946)]." Accessed [[January 16]], [[2007]].</ref>
Image:Older IBM Logo.png|The logo that was used from 1947 to 1956. The familiar "globe" was replaced with the simple letters "IBM" in a typeface called "Beton Bold."<ref>"[http://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/logo/logo_6.html IBM Archives: IBM in transition (1947-1956)]." Accessed [[January 16]], [[2007]].</ref>
Image:Old IBM Logo.png|The logo that was used from 1956 to 1972. The letters "IBM" took on a more solid, grounded and balanced appearance.<ref>"[http://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/logo/logo_7.html IBM Archives: IBM continuity (1956-1972)]." Accessed [[January 16]], [[2007]].</ref>
Image:IBM logo.svg|In 1972, the horizontal stripes now replaced the solid letters to suggest "speed and dynamism." This logo (in two versions, 8-bar and 13-bar), as well as the previous one, was designed by graphic designer [[Paul Rand]].<ref>"[http://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/logo/logo_8.html IBM Archives: IBM international recognition (1972- )]." Accessed [[January 16]], [[2007]].</ref>
'''IBM Logo History'''[http://worldsbestlogos.blogspot.com/2007/08/ibm-logo-history.html]
</gallery>
[[Logo]]s designed in the 1970s tended to be sensitive to the technical limitations of photocopiers, which were then being widely deployed. A logo with large solid areas tended to be poorly copied by copiers in the 1970s, so companies preferred logos that avoided large solid areas. The 1972 IBM logos are an example of this tendency. With the advent of digital copiers in the mid-1980s this technical restriction had largely disappeared; at roughly the same time, the 13-bar logo was abandoned for almost the opposite reason{{ndash}} it was difficult to render accurately on the low-resolution digital printers (240 dots per inch) of the time.

===Board of directors===
Current members of the [[board of directors]] of IBM are:
*Cathleen Black President, [[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Magazines]]
*[[William Brody]] President, [[Johns Hopkins University]]
*[[Ken Chenault]] Chairman and CEO, [[American Express]] Company
*Juergen Dormann Chairman of the Board, ABB Ltd
*[[Michael Eskew]] Chairman and CEO, [[United Parcel Service]], Inc.
*[[Shirley Ann Jackson]] President, [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]]
*Minoru Makihara Senior Corporate Advisor and former Chairman, [[Mitsubishi Corporation]]
*Lucio Noto Managing Partner, Midstream Partners LLC
*[[James W. Owens]] Chairman and CEO, [[Caterpillar Inc.]]
*[[Samuel J. Palmisano]] Chairman, President and CEO, IBM
*Joan Spero President, [[Doris Duke]] Charitable Foundation
*Sidney Taurell, Chairman and CEO, [[Eli Lilly and Company]]
*[[Lorenzo Zambrano]] Chairman and CEO, [[Cemex]] SAB de CV

==See also==
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
*[[IBM AIX (operating system)]]
*[[IBM OS/2]]
*[[IBM PS/2]]
*[[IBM PC-DOS]]
*[[IBM PC]]
*[[IBM System/360]]
*[[IBM System/370]]
*[[IBM ESA/390]]
*[[IBM System z9]], [[IBM System z10]]
*[[IBM System p]], [[POWER6]]
*[[IBM System i]]
*[[IBM PC compatible|IBM PC compatible (or IBM PC clone)]]
*[[List of Computer System Manufacturers]]
*[[List of IBM acquisitions and spinoffs]]
*[[List of IBM products]]
*[[SCO v. IBM]]
*[[IBM Rochester]]
*[[IBM and the Holocaust]]
*IBM's [[Deep Thought (chess computer)]]
*[[Extreme Blue]]
*[[IEEE]]
</div>

==References and footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}
{{refbegin}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
<div class="references-small">
<!-- Please keep this list in order of: 1) Year of publication [newest first], 2) Author's surname [A-Z], 3) Title [A-Z] -->
{| cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0
|- <!--When adding new rows, please update the rowspan values-->
|
| width=10px rowspan=14 |
|
| width=10px rowspan=14 |
|
| width=10px rowspan=14 |
|-
| [[Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.]] 
| 2002
| ''Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?'' HarperCollins. 
| ISBN 0-00-715448-8
|-
| Robert Slater 
| 1999
| ''Saving Big Blue: IBM's Lou Gerstner''
| McGraw Hill
|-
| Emerson W. Pugh
| 1996
| ''Building IBM: Shaping an Industry''
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|-
| Robert Heller
| 1994
| ''The Fate of IBM''
| Little Brown
|-
| Paul Carroll
| 1993
| ''Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM''
| Crown Publishers
|-
| Roy A Bauer et al
| 1992
| ''The Silverlake Project: Transformation at IBM (AS/400)''
| Oxford University Press
|-
| Thomas J Watson Jr.
| 1990
| ''Father, Son & Co: My Life at IBM and Beyond''
| Bantam
|-
| [[Robert Sobel]]
| 1988
| ''IBM vs. Japan: The Struggle for the Future''
|-
| David Mercer
| 1987
| ''IBM: How the World's Most Successful Corporation is Managed'' [http://futureobservatory.dyndns.org/2013.htm]
| Kogan Page 
|-
| Richard Thomas DeLamarter
| 1986
| ''Big Blue: IBM's Use and Abuse of Power''
| Macmillan
|-
| Buck Rodgers
| 1986
| ''The IBM Way''
| Harper & Row
|-
| [[Robert Sobel]]
| 1981
| ''IBM: Colossus in Transition''
| ISBN 0-8129-1000-1
|-
| [[Samme Chittum]]
| 2004
| ''[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DF1631F936A25750C0A9629C8B63&fta=y In an I.B.M. Village, Pollution Fears Taint Relations With Neighbors]''
| New York Times
|-
| [[Robert Sobel]]
|
| 1981
|
| ''Thomas Watson, Sr.: IBM and the Computer Revolution'' (biography of [[Thomas J. Watson]])
|
| ISBN 1-893122-82-4
|-
|}
</div>

==External links==
{{commons|International Business Machines}}
*[http://www.ibm.com/ IBM official website]
*[http://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/ IBM Archives Site]
*[http://www.cogmap.com/chart/ibm---international-business-machines IBM Organization Chart Wiki]

{{Finance links
|name = IBM Corp.
|symbol = IBM
|sec_cik = 51143
|hoovers = 10796
}}

{{IBM}}
{{IT giants}}
{{Dow Jones Industrial Average companies}}
{{Typewriter}}

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