IBM's service journey: A summary sketch

Abstract

IBM is an iconic corporation, whose history of innovation and growth has been told many times in many ways. In this short retelling, the focus is from the perspective of service and service growth. In the early 1990s, during what was arguably IBM's darkest days, it was a return to service and service growth that saved IBM and dramatically grew the IT services industry. This paper shares some personal reflections on the history of IBM from a service perspective, and advocates for more service research to advance our understanding of service systems and service growth.