IBM completes its centennial
By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 16 June 2011, 22:36 IST   |    7 Comments
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IBM completes its centennial
Bangalore: IBM is marking the 100-year anniversary of its founding on June 16, 1911. To celebrate the milestone, the company released a book, "Making the World Work Better: The Ideas That Shaped a Century and a Company," and also debuted a new film 'Wild Ducks' and marked the anniversary by ringing the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. On this auspicious occasion of IBM's milestone its CEO J. Palmisano ended all the speculation as to his retirement and celebrated its centennialin a grand way. During its first century, IBM has played a leading role in transforming business, science and society. The company's history can be seen as a succession of key milestones from investing in a research lab in the depths of the Great Depression, to developing the first hard disk drive that created the data storage industry, to working with the U.S. government to develop the Social Security System. It continued with such 'big bets' as a radical new computing model, the System/360 mainframe, the invention of the UPC code, the invention of the IBM Personal Computer that launched the PC revolution, and the recent development of Watson, the computer that triumphed on the TV game show Jeopardy!. Internation Business machines started its journey in the way back 1911 with three independent businesses merging to become one and Thomas Watson went on to become the company's general manager in 1914. In just ten years Watson posted revenues of $11 million (13 times its original annual sales), employing 3384 employees, expanding overseas beyond the UK, Canada and Germany and established its base firmly and its completion of 100 years affirms the fact that it is here to stay for quite a long time. Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Samuel J. Palmisano identified that the key lessons that IBM has learned over 100 years in order to succeed for the long term is that you must manage for the long term. "For IBMers, long-term thinking means continually moving to the future.IBM has survived and thrived for 100 years by remaining true to our core values, while being ready to change everything else. This has allowed us to transform technology, business and society through our first century, and we believe it will enable us to achieve even more in our second," he said. Shankar Annaswamy, Managing Director, IBM India, said, "It has been an exciting journey for IBM in India. Starting with just a small office, we have grown to become a microcosm of the IBM Corporation with presence and leadership across all segments. As we move ahead towards the next century, we will take forward this legacy of innovation and growth and continue to contribute to the economy and society in India." IBM India, as part of the centennial celebrations, will align itself to a unique global initiative wherein IBM employees worldwide will significantly increase their service in their local communities. Over 50 percent of the employees will pledge a minimum of 8 hours of voluntary service each and work with over 100 NGOs engaged in different community programs. Additionally, IBM will provide grants worth US $ 12 million to support the Celebration of Service globally, with a part of this grant being given in India as well. Since the time IBM set its footprints in India, IBM has seen many successes and has been a roller costar ride for them. Post liberalization, IBM went into a joint venture with TATA in 1992 and the global services department was set up in 1997. IBM became the first one to set up Research Organization in the year 1998. IBM then in 1999 became a private limited company. The year 2001 saw IBM set up its software lab. However, the turning point for IBM came in the year 2004 with its acquition of Daksh Company and its landmark deal with Bharati - Airtel of 750 million. The global delivery saw path breaking results for IBM India. At present IBM chips are serving 90 percent of gaming machines. IBM has also pioneered the industry of cloud. Its servers and data centers are vouched by clients all around the world. As far as banking is concerned, IBM has been able to bring tremendous transformation with its IT services. It has brought the system of core banking in banks like Canara bank and HDFC. One can now survey its non - performing assets. It has also extended its IT infrastructure services to rural banks like Bank of Karad, Maharastra. Though IBM has been selective about public sector offerings, it has been fortunate to deliver good number of services. It has worked very closely with the Income Tax Department by providing IT infrastructure. It has also extended its IT infrastructure to Delhi and Hyderabad airport. Jet Airways is the next in the line to get infrastructure services from IBM. In the sphere of healthcare, by using nanotechnology IBM has successfully partnered with Bilcare Research. Some of the major community initiatives for which IBMers in India will be volunteering time include working with the following partners such as Retina India where 100 IBMers will put together a website which will match volunteers as scribes for people who are visually challenged and registered in with Retina India. IBMers will also volunteer as scribes at National Entrepreneurship Network. Then Centre for Sustainability Development where IBMers will work with CSD to present a citizen perspective on Environment related issues. In Spastic Society of Karnataka IBMers will provide communication skill training to children and in Akshara Foundation close to 15000 IBMers will volunteer at 1500 schools. Also Agasthaya Foundation for hosting science fairs in Hyderabad and Chennai. Over 20,000 children are expected to participate in these fairs. Nanhi Kali, an NGO that supports education for the girl child will also be part of this initiative, several IBMers will visit colleges for women and highlight diversity initiatives at IBM as well as employment opportunities. Over a 1000 IBM volunteers will go to Mewat and take the children enrolled in the literacy program through any one of the 4 modules that have been short listed for school children.

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