IBM

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses IBM's innovative business strategy and its ability to reinvent and renew itself. A brief history of the company is presented, as well as its current position in the global computer market. The author also describes the strategies used by IBM to achieve this position and its focus on diverse activities. The future activities for IBM are discussed, including the major goals of its business model. The author concludes that IBM has set an example of development by reinventing itself in the 1990s, and changing its direction from hardware to software and consulting.

Outline:
Introduction
Brief history of IBM
Strategy IBM used to Build the Company
IBM Diverse Holdings
Future Outlook for IBM
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"IBM's rebirth produced between 1990-1999, when the company's traditional mainframe business went through a series of major changes, as customers increased the focus on departmental and desktop computing (Wikipedia, 2007). As a consequence, in 1992 IBM launched the first Thinkpad laptop computer. However, the 1992 financial year ended with important losses for IBM. Given these losses, IBM strategists came up with a series of changes in its business activities. This is the time when IBM shifted its attention away from computers and hardware and towards software and services, by acquiring Lotus Development Corporation and creating the Software Group and expanding it to five brands: DB2, Lotus, WebSphere, Tivoli and Rational. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• IBM's strategy. Management discussion(2005). International Business Machines Corporation and Subsidiary Companies. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.ibm.com/annualreport/2005/md_3strategy.shtml.
• The future of the enterprise (2006). IBM United States. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ideasfromibm/us/enterprise/mar27/global_innovation.html.
• Metz, Cade (2003). A Glimpse of IBM's Future. PC Magazine online. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1216006,00.asp.
• McDougall, Paul (2005). IBM's Future Is in Business-Performance Transformation. InformationWeek online. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=56900493.
• Tischler, Linda (2004). IBM's Management Makeover. Fast Company Magazine online. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/88/ibm.html.

More papers on IBM:

• Book Review # 92445 : "Re-Organization of IBM"
• Analytical Essay # 89965 : "IBM New Benefits Analysis"
• Business Plan # 88116 : "IBM"

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