Module Project: Introduction

The International Business Machines (IBM) had its founding in the closing years of the 19^th century as a firm that offered automated business solutions to its clients (Cordata, 2018). Early on, IBM started by leasing time management equipment to the US government. Overtime, IBM transitioned from time management equipment to computers, which were still in their early development. IBM’s diversified the solutions it offered to its clients during the Second World War while retaining computing as its core venture (Cordata, 2018). The post war period saw IBM expanding internationally, with corporate computing solutions driving its expansion. 

IBM started of offering time stamping and tabulation equipment, with its primary clients at the time being the US government and other corporate consumers (Cordata, 2018). Through its research division, IBM contributed to the development of defense-related applications for the war effort. In its post-war years, IBM dominated the market for mainframe computing applications (Cordata, 2018). Later, the corporation introduced personal computers (PC) to cater this growing market segment. In recent years, IBM has focused on offering computing solutions to assist in cancer research, clean energy technologies and speech processing. 

Through its badge program, IBM pioneered a novel human resource (HR) approach that aligns employee skills with its strategy (Lewis, 2019). IBM’s badge program makes it possible for both prospective and current employees to confirm their skillsets and competence are up to the corporation’s standards. Given that IBM has established credentialing system, the next logical step is how to tap into the reservoir of expertise the corporation has established. IBM’s badge program means that has cultivated a pool of expertise. The badge program together with cloud computing means that IBM can extend the pool of consultants through open sourcing. In particular, open sourcing its software solutions can enable IBM take advantage of the pool of expertise it does not directly employ but that is qualified through the company’s badge program.

References

Lewis, N. (2019). IBM transforms its human resources with AI. SHRM Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/ibm-transforms-human-resources-ai.aspx 

Power, B. (2012). IBM focuses on HR change. Harvard Business Review Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/01/ibm-focuses-hr-on-change Cortada, J. W. (2018). Change and continuity at IBM: Key themes in histories of IBM. Business History Review, 92(1), 117-148.