What was ibm first known for

IBM scientists discover how to move and position individual atoms on a metal surface, using a scanning tunneling microscope. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Mary Bellis. Inventions Expert. Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell.

Updated January 29, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Bellis, Mary. But 50 years ago, before Apple started in its garage and Mark Zuckerberg hadn't even been born, another company owned the tech space. And they earned that reputation. Then they were called the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. Instead it was formed by the merger of three companies that had existed since the late s: the Computing Scale Company, the Tabulating Machine Company, and the Time Recording Company.

The newly merged firm was based in New York City with about 1, total employees. By comparison, today IBM employs around , people. In these early years the C-T-R Company focused on products such as accounting and calculating machines, time recorders for businesses and mechanical punch card systems. It focused on standard office products rather than being the invention-driven company it later became.

In the s and s IBM began its growth into a household name. It launched the public address system used by schools, which quickly became a staple in the American classroom. And in it invented the first calculator that could directly subtract. Even Kasparov had to laud IBM's team for the win. We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters theatlantic.

Skip to content. Sign in My Account Subscribe. The Atlantic Crossword. The Print Edition. Latest Issue Past Issues. Only through November Try subscriber newsletters for free. Link Copied. That's the spirit that has brought us fame!