IBM's market value surpassed that of Microsoft for the first time since 1996, Bloomberg reported. Thus it has become the second most capitalized enterprise of the technology sector after Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),, which is valued at $362,1 billion. Yesterday the value of the IBM stock reached 214 billion dollars while that of Microsoft fell to 213,2 billion.
The numbers should reflect the changes taking place in the technology market, with the loss of importance of personal computers and the growth of other devices such as tablets and smartphones. IBM shares are up 22% this year, while Microsoft shares are down 8,8%, according to Bloomberg data. In January 2000, Microsoft was worth three times IBM.
Six years ago IBM sold its production of PCs to the Chinese Lenovo, to concentrate on the development of services and software for the enterprise. Microsoft has major operations in video games, such as the Xbox 360, and the internet, such as the search engine Bing, but most of its revenue still comes largely from the Windows operating system and software such as Office.
The change of focus of the PC market towards tablets and smartphones has also had effects on other traditional companies. HP, the world's largest PC maker, changed its chairman twice in a year and is considering selling its personal computer manufacturing unit.
Source: Bloomberg
