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IBM

IBM
IBM Newsroom · Jul 15, 2026

IBM (International Business Machines) is a 114-year-old American technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, that helps large enterprises and governments run and modernize their most demanding operations. Today its business centers on three pillars - hybrid cloud through Red Hat, enterprise AI through the watsonx platform and open Granite models, and consulting - while it continues to build the underlying hardware, from z-series mainframes to research-grade quantum computers. IBM reported $67.5 billion in 2025 revenue and remains one of the largest patent holders and research organizations in the world.

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Company Facts

At a glance
Founded
1911 · Armonk, New York, United States
Category
AI
Legal name
International Business Machines Corporation
Founders
Charles Ranlett Flint, Thomas J. Watson Sr.
Team size
Approximately 270,000-290,000 employees worldwide
Valuation
Publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker IBM; market capitalization in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Revenue
$67.5 billion (full-year 2025)
Customers
Large enterprises, banks, insurers, telecoms, retailers, healthcare systems, and government agencies worldwide - including a large share of the Fortune 500. IBM operates in more than 170 countries.
Model
IBM makes money primarily from enterprise software (hybrid cloud, AI, automation, security, and data), consulting services, and infrastructure (mainframes, storage, and financing). The mix has shifted heavily toward recurring software subscriptions and long-term consulting engagements, complemented by high-margin mainframe hardware cycles and its research/IP licensing.
Alternatives
Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Oracle, SAP, Accenture, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and specialized AI and cloud vendors.

Updates

Recent updates
Jul 2026
IBM reported Q2 2026 revenue of about $17.2 billion, up roughly 1 percent year over year, with software leading and infrastructure declining.
Jan 2026
IBM reported full-year 2025 revenue of $67.5 billion and $13.2 billion in cash from operations.
Jun 2025
IBM reaffirmed plans to invest more than $10 billion in quantum computing over five years, targeting a fault-tolerant system by 2029.
Feb 2025
IBM completed its $6.4 billion acquisition of HashiCorp, adding Terraform and Vault to its automation portfolio.
May 2024
IBM unveiled the next chapter of watsonx, open-sourcing its Granite models and expanding its AI ecosystem.

Timeline

Company history
1911
CTR is formed

The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company is organized through a merger of record-keeping and measuring firms.

1924
The IBM name is born

CTR is renamed International Business Machines Corporation under Thomas J. Watson Sr.

1952
Entering computing

IBM introduces the 701, its first large commercial scientific computer, launching its mainframe era.

1964
System/360 changes everything

IBM releases the System/360 family, standardizing compatible enterprise computing.

1969
IBM helps reach the Moon

IBM systems support NASA's Apollo missions and the first crewed Moon landing.

1981
The IBM PC

IBM launches the personal computer, helping define the modern desktop industry.

2005
Exiting PCs

IBM sells its personal computer business to Lenovo to focus on services and software.

2011
Watson wins Jeopardy

IBM's Watson defeats human champions, showcasing AI to a mass audience.

2019
Red Hat acquisition

IBM acquires Red Hat for ~$34B, anchoring its hybrid cloud strategy.

2021
Kyndryl spinoff

IBM spins off its managed infrastructure services unit as Kyndryl to sharpen its focus.

2023
watsonx launches

IBM introduces the watsonx AI and data platform and its Granite foundation models.

2025
HashiCorp joins IBM

IBM completes its $6.4B acquisition of HashiCorp, adding Terraform and Vault.

Product History

What shipped, and when
2023

watsonx

Enterprise AI and data platform for building, training, tuning, and governing AI models and assistants.

2023

Granite models

IBM's family of open-source, enterprise-grade foundation models for language, code, and business tasks.

2019

Red Hat OpenShift & RHEL

Open-source hybrid cloud platform and enterprise Linux, the backbone of IBM's hybrid cloud strategy.

1952

IBM Z mainframes

High-reliability transaction systems that run core operations for banks, airlines, and governments.

2021

IBM Consulting

Global professional services arm for business transformation, AI adoption, and systems integration.

2016

IBM Quantum

Cloud-accessible quantum computers and the Qiskit software stack, with a public roadmap toward fault-tolerant systems.

2025

HashiCorp (Terraform & Vault)

Infrastructure automation and secrets management, added via IBM's $6.4B acquisition.

2011

IBM Cloud

Enterprise public and hybrid cloud with a focus on regulated industries and confidential computing.

FAQs

Frequently asked
What does IBM do today?

IBM helps large organizations modernize and run their operations through three main businesses: hybrid cloud software (led by Red Hat), enterprise AI (the watsonx platform and open Granite models), and consulting - supported by mainframe hardware and research including quantum computing.

When was IBM founded and where is it headquartered?

IBM traces its roots to 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company and was renamed International Business Machines in 1924. It is headquartered in Armonk, New York.

Who is the CEO of IBM?

Arvind Krishna, who became CEO in April 2020 and chairman in January 2021, having joined IBM in 1990.

What is watsonx?

watsonx is IBM's enterprise AI and data platform for building, tuning, and governing AI models and assistants. It is paired with IBM's open-source Granite foundation models aimed at businesses in regulated industries.

Is IBM really building a quantum computer?

Yes. IBM operates cloud-accessible quantum systems today and has published a public roadmap, with CEO Arvind Krishna stating IBM aims to deliver a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029, backed by a planned investment of more than $10 billion.