100 years of IBM: By the numbers

The tech giant just celebrated its centennial. Will Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft ever know such longevity?

The 1987 IBM Personal System 2 model computer: IBM celebrated its centennial last week.
(Image credit: Bettmann/CORBIS)

Last Thursday, IBM celebrated its 100th birthday, a rare landmark in the world of big business. "It's the predominant pattern that companies eventually self-destruct," says management expert Jim Collins, as quoted by USA Today, so IBM's centennial places it in "a special and rarefied group." Here, a brief guide to IBM's success, by the numbers:

1,346

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