What Does Big Blue Mean?
“Big Blue” is a commonly used nickname for the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). The true origin of the name is difficult to determine, but it is unmistakably related to the large size and tremendous impact of the company in the technology arena. The first official use of the term seems to have been in a 1981 magazine article.
Techopedia Explains Big Blue
Various theories have been advanced regarding the source of the Big Blue moniker. The company itself cannot provide a clear answer. A section on the IBM website called “The Making of International Business Machines” cites the first official print reference to the tech giant as “Big Blue.” An article called “No. 1’s Awesome Strategy” in Business Week on June 8, 1981 quotes an IBM loyalist: “The nickname comes from the pervasiveness of IBM’s blue computers.”
