IBM Announces New Consumer Division; J. A. Firestone Named to Head New
Unit

SOMERS, N.Y., Aug. 7 . . . IBM today announced a new division created to
bring an array of exciting technology products and services into homes
worldwide.

The new consumer division, to be headed by James A. Firestone, 40, will
bring together select pieces of IBM's current consumer offerings --
including its Aptiva line of home computers -- multimedia software and
online services, under a single development, marketing, and distribution
organization. The division's products will fall into two broad categories:
PC-based products and network-based offerings including the delivery of
online services.

Firestone joins IBM from Ameritech, where he was president of Ameritech
Consumer Services, overseeing the delivery of phone, data and multimedia
services to residential customers. Before joining Ameritech, Firestone
worked at American Express. As president and general manager of American
Express Travel Related Services in Japan, Firestone established the
American Express card business and built it into the largest
non-English-speaking business for the American Express card. He also
served as president of American Express Travelers Cheques Group
worldwide.

"Our goal was to hire a general manager with a strong consumer background,
extensive international experience, and someone who has built a business
from the ground up." said G. Richard Thoman, IBM vice president and group
executive. "Jim brings all of that experience and more."

"The worldwide consumer market for information technology is exploding with
the expectation that it will exceed $100 billion before the end of the
decade," said Thoman. "Today, the market is highly fragmented between
hardware manufacturers, software developers, online service providers and
content providers. By combining these products and services and delivering
them under the IBM brand, we have the opportunity to be the leader in a
market that's just emerging."

Firestone will report to Thoman who is responsible for IBM's worldwide PC
business, Prodigy and IBM's printing systems company. He will be based in
Somers, N.Y.
 
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