International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or "Big Blue"; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company which became IBM was founded in 1888 as Herman Hollerith and the Tabulating Machine Company. It was incorporated as Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) on June 15, 1911, and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. IBM adopted its current name in 1924, where it became a Fortune 500 company.Known through most of its recent history as the world's largest computer company, as of 2006, IBM has since fallen to second behind Hewlett-Packard in total revenue (but not profit). With over 350,000 employees worldwide, IBM is the largest information technology employer in the world. IBM holds more patents than any other technology company.IBM has engineers and consultants in over 170 countries and IBM Research has eight laboratories worldwide. IBM employees have earned five Nobel Prizes, five Turing Awards, five National Medals of Technology, and five National Medals of Science. As a chip maker, IBM is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders. IBM's PC division was bought by Chinese company Lenovo on May 1, 2005.
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. 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 blue suits.
IBM Logos :
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"
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."
The logo that was used from 1956 to 1972. IBM said that the letters took on a more solid, grounded and balanced appearance
The striped logo was first used in 1967, and fully replaced the solid logo by 1972. The horizontal stripes suggesting "speed and dynamism."This logo (in two versions, 8-bar and 13-bar), as well as the previous one, were designed by graphic designer Paul Rand. For further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM