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'''International Business Machines Corporation''' ('''IBM''', or '''Big Blue'''; {{nyse|IBM}}) is a [[multinational corporation|multinational]] [[computer]] [[technology]] [[corporation]] headquartered in [[Armonk]], [[New York]], [[United States|USA]]. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century; it was founded in [[1888]] and incorporated (as [[Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR)]]) on [[June 15]] [[1911]], and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. IBM manufactures and sells [[computer hardware]], [[computer software|software]], infrastructure services, [[Internet hosting service|hosting services]], and [[consultant|consulting services]] in areas ranging from [[mainframe computer]]s to [[nanotechnology]]<ref>http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/research.nsf/pages/r.nanotech.html</ref>. With almost 330,000 employees worldwide and revenues of [[United States dollar|US $]]91 billion<ref name="morningstar"/> annually (figures from 2005), IBM is the largest [[information technology]] company in the world, and holds more [[patent]]s than any other 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>

'''International Business Machines Corporation''' ('''IBM''', or '''Big Blue'''; {{nyse|IBM}}) is a [[multinational corporation|multinational]] [[computer]] [[technology]] [[corporation]] headquartered in [[Armonk]], [[New York]], [[United States|USA]]. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century; it was founded in [[1888]] and incorporated (as [[Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR)]]) on June 15, [[1911]], and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. IBM manufactures and sells [[computer hardware]], [[computer software|software]], infrastructure services, [[Internet hosting service|hosting services]], and [[consultant|consulting services]] in areas ranging from [[mainframe computer]]s to [[nanotechnology]]<ref>http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/research.nsf/pages/r.nanotech.html</ref>. With almost 330,000 employees worldwide and revenues of [[United States dollar|US $]]91 billion<ref name="morningstar"/> annually (figures from 2005), IBM is the largest [[information technology]] company in the world, and holds more [[patent]]s than any other 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>

Since 2001, services and consulting ([[IBM Global Services]]) revenues have been larger than those from manufacturing (Hardware).<ref>{{Cite book| url=ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/annualreport/2002/2002_ibm_ar_fr.pdf| title=2002 IBM annual report: Financial only| publisher=IBM| pages=64| format=pdf| accessdate=2006-07-23}}</ref> Significantly, IBM has also been steadily increasing its workforce in developing countries (notably, in [[IBM India]]) and retrenching in the US and Europe.<ref name="offshoring">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_23/b3987093.htm|title=Big Blue Shift| date = [[2006-06-05]]|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_23/b3987098.htm| title=IBM wakes up to India's skills|date=[[2006-06-05]]|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.financegates.com/news/business_news/2005-05-05/ibm_05052005.html|title=IBM cuts 13000 employees, mostly in Europe|accessdate=2006-06-25|date=[[2005-05-05]]}}</ref> [[Samuel J. Palmisano]] was elected [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] on [[January 29]] [[2002]] after having led IBM's Global Services, and helping it to become a business with $100 billion in backlog in 2004.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ibm.com/ibm/sjp/bio.html| title=Personal biography| date=March [[2006]]}}</ref> Palmisano replaced [[Louis V. Gerstner]], who held the job from 1993 to 2002, taking over from [[John Akers]], who left during a period of financial difficulty for the company.

Since 2001, services and consulting ([[IBM Global Services]]) revenues have been larger than those from manufacturing (Hardware).<ref>{{Cite book| url=ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/annualreport/2002/2002_ibm_ar_fr.pdf| title=2002 IBM annual report: Financial only| publisher=IBM| pages=64| format=pdf| accessdate=2006-07-23}}</ref> Significantly, IBM has also been steadily increasing its workforce in developing countries (notably, in [[IBM India]]) and retrenching in the US and Europe.<ref name="offshoring">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_23/b3987093.htm|title=Big Blue Shift| date = [[2006-06-05]]|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_23/b3987098.htm| title=IBM wakes up to India's skills|date=[[2006-06-05]]|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.financegates.com/news/business_news/2005-05-05/ibm_05052005.html|title=IBM cuts 13000 employees, mostly in Europe|accessdate=2006-06-25|date=[[2005-05-05]]}}</ref> [[Samuel J. Palmisano]] was elected [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] on [[January 29]] [[2002]] after having led IBM's Global Services, and helping it to become a business with $100 billion in backlog in 2004.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ibm.com/ibm/sjp/bio.html| title=Personal biography| date=March [[2006]]}}</ref> Palmisano replaced [[Louis V. Gerstner]], who held the job from 1993 to 2002, taking over from [[John Akers]], who left during a period of financial difficulty for the company.