Unpacking IBM’s History with Dr. James Cortada: From Icon to Reinvention

Business Talk

Jan 6 2025 • 39 mins

A former IBM employee, Dr. James Cortada, provides an authoritative history of IBM, chronicling its significant influence on global business over the past century. Once an iconic force with its products and corporate culture shaping industries worldwide, IBM faced both triumphs and challenges, including near-collapse in the 1990s and a revival through strategic shifts and AI focus. Dr. Cortada delves into IBM's technology innovations, business culture, global reach, legal challenges, and leadership, highlighting its remarkable adaptability as the key to its enduring success in the IT market. Dr. James Cortada is a historian specializing in the business and economic history of information and information technologies. With over 38 years at IBM, he held diverse roles in sales, consulting, management, and executive positions. He actively participates in the IEEE Computer Society and the American Historical Association and serves on the board of directors for the IT History Society. These engagements significantly shape his research endeavours. Currently, Dr. James Cortada serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute, part of the College of Science and Engineering and University Libraries at The University of Minnesota. In this episode, Dr. James Cortada shares profound insights from his widely acclaimed book, “IBM: The Rise and Fall and Reinvention of a Global Icon.” This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music. B. Dr. James Cortada has graciously allowed us to share insights from his book, “IBM: The Rise and Fall and Reinvention of a Global Icon,” on the Business Talk Podcast Channel. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.