1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statement of Earnings (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data false 1 $ false false shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 usd Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 usdPerShare Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 2 $ false false shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 usd Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 usdPerShare Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 3 $ false false shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 usd Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 usdPerShare Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 4 $ false false shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 usd Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 usdPerShare Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 6 Revenue: 4 us-gaap_RevenuesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 7 Services 5 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 13806000000 13806 false false 2 true true 14773000000 14773 false false 3 true true 40462000000 40462 false false 4 true true 44550000000 44550 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Sales 5 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 9216000000 9216 false false 2 false true 9892000000 9892 false false 3 false true 26363000000 26363 false false 4 false true 30156000000 30156 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Financing 5 us-gaap_FinancialServicesRevenue us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 544000000 544 false false 2 false true 636000000 636 false false 3 false true 1702000000 1702 false false 4 false true 1918000000 1918 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Total revenue 5 us-gaap_Revenues us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 23566000000 23566 false false 2 false true 25302000000 25302 [1] false false 3 false true 68528000000 68528 [1] false false 4 false true 76623000000 76623 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 11 Cost: 4 us-gaap_CostOfRevenueAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 12 Services 5 us-gaap_CostOfServices us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 9233000000 9233 false false 2 false true 10230000000 10230 false false 3 false true 27441000000 27441 false false 4 false true 31287000000 31287 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Sales 5 us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3404000000 3404 false false 2 false true 3789000000 3789 false false 3 false true 9527000000 9527 false false 4 false true 11687000000 11687 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 14 Financing 5 us-gaap_FinancialServicesCosts us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 301000000 301 false false 2 false true 324000000 324 false false 3 false true 919000000 919 false false 4 false true 924000000 924 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Total cost 5 us-gaap_CostOfRevenue us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 12938000000 12938 false false 2 false true 14342000000 14342 [1] false false 3 false true 37888000000 37888 [1] false false 4 false true 43898000000 43898 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 16 Gross profit 4 us-gaap_GrossProfit us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 10627000000 10627 [1] false false 2 false true 10959000000 10959 [1] false false 3 false true 30640000000 30640 false false 4 false true 32725000000 32725 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Expense and other income: 3 ibm_ExpenseAndOtherIncomeAbstract ibm false na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 18 Selling, general and administrative 4 us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5013000000 5013 false false 2 false true 5644000000 5644 false false 3 false true 15392000000 15392 false false 4 false true 17553000000 17553 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Research, development and engineering 4 us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1446000000 1446 false false 2 false true 1579000000 1579 false false 3 false true 4360000000 4360 false false 4 false true 4809000000 4809 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Intellectual property and custom development income 4 ibm_IntellectualPropertyAndCustomDevelopmentIncome ibm false debit duration monetary The aggregate amount of income from licensing and sales of the rights to certain intellectual property including internally... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -294000000 -294 false false 2 false true -267000000 -267 false false 3 false true -864000000 -864 false false 4 false true -825000000 -825 false false The aggregate amount of income from licensing and sales of the rights to certain intellectual property including internally developed patents, trade secrets and technological know-how. No authoritative reference available. false 21 Other (income) and expense 4 ibm_OtherIncomeAndExpense ibm false debit duration monetary The aggregate amount of (income) expense , not previously categorized, including interest income, gains and losses on certain... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5000000 5 false false 2 false true -51000000 -51 false false 3 false true -326000000 -326 false false 4 false true -201000000 -201 false false The aggregate amount of (income) expense , not previously categorized, including interest income, gains and losses on certain derivative instruments, gains and losses from securities and other investments, gains and losses from certain real estate transactions, foreign currency transaction gains and losses, gains and losses from the sale of businesses and amounts related to accretion of asset retirement obligations. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Interest expense 4 us-gaap_InterestExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 84000000 84 false false 2 false true 159000000 159 false false 3 false true 321000000 321 false false 4 false true 482000000 482 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 23 Total expense and other income 4 ibm_ExpenseAndOtherIncome ibm false debit duration monetary The aggregate amount of both recurring costs and income associated with normal operations (except for the portion of these... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 6255000000 6255 [1] false false 2 false true 7064000000 7064 false false 3 false true 18882000000 18882 [1] false false 4 false true 21818000000 21818 false false The aggregate amount of both recurring costs and income associated with normal operations (except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales, services or financing) and expense (income) from ancillary business-related activities. Includes selling, general and administrative expense, research, development and engineering expense, intellectual property and custom development income and interest and debt related expenses (except those related to the financing activities of the entity). No authoritative reference available. true 24 Income before income taxes 3 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4373000000 4373 [1] false false 2 false true 3895000000 3895 false false 3 false true 11757000000 11757 [1] false false 4 false true 10907000000 10907 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 25 Provision for income taxes 3 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1159000000 1159 false false 2 false true 1071000000 1071 false false 3 false true 3145000000 3145 false false 4 false true 2999000000 2999 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 26 Net income 3 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 3214000000 3214 false false 2 true true 2824000000 2824 false false 3 true true 8612000000 8612 false false 4 true true 7907000000 7907 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 27 Earnings per share of common stock: 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 28 Assuming dilution 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.40 2.40 false false 2 true true 2.04 2.04 [2] false false 3 true true 6.42 6.42 false false 4 true true 5.65 5.65 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 29 Basic 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.44 2.44 false false 2 true true 2.08 2.08 [2] false false 3 true true 6.47 6.47 false false 4 true true 5.75 5.75 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 30 Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding: (millions) 3 ibm_Weighted-AverageNumberCommonSharesOutstandingAbstract ibm false na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 31 Assuming dilution 4 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1338200000 1338.2 false false 2 false true 1384100000 1384.1 [2] false false 3 false true 1341600000 1341.6 false false 4 false true 1399200000 1399.2 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 32 Basic 4 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1319900000 1319.9 false false 2 false true 1359500000 1359.5 [2] false false 3 false true 1330100000 1330.1 false false 4 false true 1376700000 1376.7 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 33 Cash dividend per common share 3 us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 0.55 0.55 false false 2 true true 0.50 0.50 false false 3 true true 1.60 1.60 false false 4 true true 1.40 1.40 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 1 Amounts may not add due to rounding. 2 Reflects the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidance in determining whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities. See Note 2, "Accounting Changes," on pages 7 to 10 for additional information. false 4 28 false Millions HundredThousands Hundreds false true