IBM in its heyday (1930s through the '70s) wasn't primarily a service company either -- its core products were always data processing equipment (computers, and

IBM in its heyday (1930s through the '70s) wasn't primarily a service company either -- its core products were always data processing equipment (computers, and the plugboard-programmed punched card tabulators and other gear that preceded them). It became largely a service company in a pivot -- executed slowly over many years -- after losing dominance in the DP equipment market.