IBM
Eric Schnatterly , Vice President IBM Systems for Cloud Platforms , Asia Pacific , talks about the company ’ s latest pipeline of innovation in the cloud and data space
IBM is one of the most recognised and admired brands in the world . The business has been building on its brand for more than a century , with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century . Throughout the first half of the 20th century , IBM enjoyed explosive growth , but it ’ s future was never completely secure . During this time , the company had to survive two World Wars , the Great Depression , and multiple industry transformations . Then came the 1950s , a period of rapid technological change , with budding computer technologies – electronic computers , magnetic tape , disk drives , programming – creating a slew of new competitors and market uncertainties .
IBM had been a leader of the mechanical age , but success in the electronic age was not a certainty . In fact , some analysts at the time , predicted doom for IBM , as the IBM install base of mechanical tabulating machines were under assault by upstarts and well funded companies offering electronic computers . In 1951 , the US Bureau of Census – an IBM client , dating back to 1889 – turned to Remington Rand to provide the electronic computer UNIVAC .
CEO Thomas Watson Jr was so concerned that IBM was too slow in adapting transistor technology that he issued a corporate policy in 1957 , declaring the use of solid-state circuitry in all machine developments . Of course , history shows that IBM successfully navigated this technology shift and went on to dominate the electronic computing era . Sixty years later , some analysts have declared the end of IBM ’ s industry leadership , pointing to
94 October 2017