IBM is one of the most fascinating of global companies. I wonder, IBM execs must crack-up over their old "big mainframes" symbolizing how technological innovation has progressed beyond the dinosaur era. Such imagery would burden most other companes, but IBM doesn't care because it has repeatedly rebuilt itself, innovated into new markets, mastered technologies and tapped new business models.

Big Blue has been with us for over 100 years. Along the way, IBM popularized the game of chess, evolved its corporate dress code and supported American pastimes.

So, what can we learn from IBM? Well, innovation is one of the first things that come to mind. Readers may be interested in a short paper where IBM describes the innovation process:Understanding the Innovation Cycle. Excerpts-

Due to the high risk investment environment and the potential for reward for those first to market, innovation results in the prototype stage are well suited to proprietary control via patent, trade secret or other intellectual property protection mechanisms...

Firms vying for market advantage are likely to rely on closed development and proprietary intellectual property protection mechanisms to garner and sustain market advantage.

Sure, there was a little antitrust issue decades ago, but hey, trailblazers often get in a little trouble, especially if their business is *innovation*. Obviously, IBM isn't hurting in public relations right now. And yes, IBM probably should have been more clear about its early licensing deals with Microsoft, and thereafter gotten out of the proprietary operating system market sooner, but if anything, history has helped IBM get to today.

Now, IBM should make a program that lets the rest of us beat guys like Kasparov.