| In the year 1956-57, Rochester, MN experienced | | | | business-oriented computers, the System i and |
| a mysterious jump in the number of homes being | | | | System p machines. System i was formally |
| built. Permits for new homes nearly doubled from | | | | known as the AS/400, which is probably what |
| 261 permits in 1956 to 501 in 1957. What type of | | | | the site is best known for. The Rochester location |
| phenomenon could cause such a rapid increase in | | | | also holds the Blue Gene supercomputing system. |
| homes; a record increase that would not be | | | | The Blue Gene is the most powerful |
| broken for another thirty years? The answer | | | | supercomputer with thousands of |
| comes in the form of an announcement made by | | | | microprocessors, capable of performing 280 trillion |
| International Business Machines, or IBM. In 1956, | | | | operations per second. Remote access to Blue |
| IBM announced that a new plant was to be built in | | | | Gene has been available for customers and |
| Rochester. In 1958, the campus opened with | | | | partners since 2005. |
| 1,500 employees. | | | | IBM products have also had a major influence on |
| Also known as "Big Blue," the Rochester plant | | | | the gaming industry. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo |
| was designed by Eero Sarrinen. He was inspired | | | | all use IBM parts that were designed in Rochester |
| by the different hues of blue in the Minnesota | | | | for their gaming systems. This area of the |
| sky, so covered the building with blue panels to | | | | company, known as the Engineering and |
| represent this. When the building first opened, | | | | Technology Services division, is fairly recent, |
| there was approximately 576,000 square feet of | | | | having been formed in 2002. |
| floor space. The company has greatly expanded | | | | The Rochester site has received a number of |
| since then, and today contains 3.5 million square | | | | awards for its work as well. In 1990, the AS/400 |
| feet of space. The site houses a major | | | | division received the Malcolm Baldrige National |
| development laboratory, a factory, various | | | | Quality Award. Also in 1990, the company was |
| support buildings, and is Rochester's second | | | | recognized by the National Building Museum as one |
| largest employer, followed by the Mayo Clinic. | | | | of the significant contributions of IBM to the built |
| For the first few decades of business, the | | | | environments of the United States. IBM's buildings |
| Rochester plant focused mainly on manufacturing. | | | | in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia were also |
| Over the past few years, however, design has | | | | included. In 2004, the site claimed the top spot in |
| been increasingly emphasized. In 2006, IBM broke | | | | the Top500 list of fast supercomputers with Blue |
| its own record for the number of patents | | | | Gene. |
| awarded with 3,621 patents. The company in | | | | IBM has been a critical component of Rochester's |
| second place was at least 1,170 patents behind. | | | | history. Before the company even built a facility |
| As of 2006, IBM had earned more U.S. patents | | | | here, the population was increasing because of |
| than any other company for fourteen years in a | | | | rumors. Once the building opened, the company |
| row. The Rochester branch of IBM is responsible | | | | continued to grow, fueling growth of the city |
| for about 10 percent of the company's overall | | | | even more. Today, IBM remains an extremely |
| patents. | | | | successful business in Rochester, and will continue |
| A few of the major advancements and | | | | to be one with the technological contributions that |
| achievements of IBM in Rochester include the | | | | it makes to its community and to society in |
| development and manufacturing of IBM's main | | | | general. |