The End Of IBM's PC Era
IBM's Thinkpad line of laptop computers introduced in the early 1990s included this innovative 701C "butterfly" model with a full-sized keypad that folded diagonally for compact storage when closed. The strategy of selling low-margin businesses and investing in high-margin businesses continued under Samuel J. Palmisano, who succeeded Gerstner in 2002. IBM's PC business was sold to Lenovo in 2005, and Palmisano has presided over investments of more than $10 billion in software, notably in the areas of information management, business intelligence, and analytics, with acquisitions including FileNet, Cognos, SPSS, iLog, and
Netezza. All these assets figure in IBM's current "Smarter Planet" push.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Inside Watson, IBM's Jeopardy Computer
What's At Stake In IBM's Jeopardy Challenge?
IBM: From Networked Business To Social Media
IBM Shows Tools For Smarter City Management
IBM Empowers Smarter Cities
Computer History Museum Tour
Great Lost Software: 16 Gone But Not Forgotten