IBM worth more than Microsoft

When Microsoft started, its number one enema was IBM's Biggish Blue, then it was a chum, and then it was an enemy again.

The software King of the World, Sir William Gates III, was no doubt extremely pleased when his company overtook IBM in terms of monetary value. It was a sign that Redmond had made it.

When Apple overtook Microsoft it was likewise seen as an indication that Jobs' Mob had triumphed over its old enemy and pretty soon the world would be plugged into iTunes in the same way that we use Windows now.

Over the weekend, new figures came in which indicate that the previously vanquished Big Blue has made a comeback and has overtaken Microsoft again.

According to Business Insider, IBM is worth over a billion more than Microsoft and is now starting to edge upwards to knock Jobs' Mob off its perch.

Once industry insiders would have thought this news impossible. Biggish Blue was yesterday's company and it was not likely to turn itself around.

It has taken a while.

IBM brought in Lou Gerstner in 1992 to stop the outfit collapsing. After ten years at the helm Biggish Blue started to gain momentum. Everyone knows that once an elephant gains momentum it becomes difficult to stop.

Now it seems that Microsoft really is in the same position that IBM was in the 1990s, only at the moment there is Steve Ballmer on top and most of the cash is overseas. 

But IBM still has a way to go if it wants to unseat Apple as the world's most valuable company.

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