International Business Machines Corp

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), commonly known as 'Big Blue,' is an American multinational technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, IBM pioneered punch-card tabulating systems, mainframe computers like the System/360, and the IBM Personal Computer in 1981, shaping the evolution of business computing worldwide. The company has driven innovations including FORTRAN, SQL, DRAM, the hard disk drive, floppy disk, ATM, and UPC barcode, while leading in supercomputing—such as Deep Blue's chess victory—and holding records for U.S. patents for decades. Today, IBM focuses on hybrid cloud computing, artificial intelligence via Watson, quantum computing with systems like IBM Q System One, cybersecurity, data analytics, and IoT, supported by the world's largest industrial research organization across 19 facilities in 12 countries. Employing around 345,000 people globally as of mid-2023, IBM operates in over 175 countries, providing consulting services to 160,000 clients and emphasizing ethical business practices and technological advancement. Its strategic shifts, including divesting its PC business to Lenovo in 2005 and spinning off Kyndryl in 2020, underscore its adaptation to modern enterprise needs in AI, automation, and secure infrastructure.