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A Profile of IBM IBM was incorporated in 1911 as the Computer-Tabulating-Recording Co. with a product line that included time clocks, scales and punch card tabulators. But its origins can be traced back to 1890, during the height of the Industrial Revolution, when the United States was experiencing waves of immigration. The U.S. Census Bureau knew its traditional methods of counting would not be adequate for measuring the population, so it sponsored a contest to find a more efficient means of tabulating census data. The winner was Herman Hollerith, a German immigrant and Census Bureau statistician, whose Punch Card Tabulating Machine used an electric current to sense holes in punch cards and keep a running total of data. Capitalizing on his success, Hollerith formed the Tabulating Machine Co. in 1896. In 1911, Charles R. Flint, a noted trust organizer, engineered the merger of Hollerith's company with two others, Computing Scale Co. of America and International Time Recording Co. The combined Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., or C-T-R, manufactured and sold machinery ranging from commercial scales and industrial time recorders to meat and cheese slicers and, of course, tabulators and punch cards. Today, IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 305,000 employees in 164 countries. IBM’s employees are leaders in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM is committed to serving both its local workplace communities and the larger global village, as a leader in workforce diversity and with financial support for a multitude of educational and other nonprofit programs. Visit IBM’s Web site at http://www.ibm.com A Message from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. What is a Professional Engineer? Like doctors who have passed the medical boards or lawyers who have passed the bar exam, professional engineers (PEs) have fulfilled the education and experience requirements and passed the rigorous exams that, under state licensure laws, permit them to offer engineering services directly to the public. PEs take legal responsibility for their engineering designs and are bound by a code of ethics to protect the public health and safety. Engineering licensure laws vary from state to state, but, in general, to become a PE an individual must be a graduate of an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gain four years of experience working under a PE, and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. A state engineering licensure board regulates the licensed practice of engineering within a state. What is NSPE? The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) is the national society of engineering professionals from all disciplines that promotes the ethical and competent practice of engineering, advocates licensure, and enhances the image and well-being of its members. Founded in 1934, NSPE is the only engineering society that represents individual engineering professionals and licensed engineers (PEs) across all disciplines. NSPE serves 60,000 members and the public through 53 state and territorial societies and more than 500 chapters. In 1951, NSPE launched National Engineers Week and, by partnering with other societies and industry, has built it into the most popular annual celebration of engineering in the country. NSPE strengthens the engineering profession though activities that promote engineering licensure and ethics, advocacy efforts that protect engineers’ professional interests and legal rights, and products and services that keep engineers up-to-date. NSPE’s practice areas including construction, education, government, industry, and private practice, give engineers unique networking opportunities, and continuing education programs allow engineers to advance their careers and earn professional development hours. NSPE also offers scholarships to aspiring engineering students and honors engineers and their employers for their contributions to the profession and society. Visit NSPE’s Web site at www.nspe.orgA Message from Albert H. Miller, P.E.,
P.L.S, NSPE Editorial from Albert H. Miller, P.E., P.L.S., NSPE
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