IBM alumni gather in Grand Central - Westfair Communications

The east and northeast balconies of Grand Central Terminal hosted 400 former ”“ and a few present ”“ IBM workers Nov. 12 as part of “The Greater IBM Connection,” a new business and social networking initiative.

The company boasts 50,000 alumni in the region, with Fairfield County, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley well represented in that number. Grand Central”™s Metrazur Restaurant provided drinks and food for the 5:30 to 9 p.m. event, which featured a range of presentations from company history to a roving magician.

Speakers at the event included Paul Horn, retired senior vice president of IBM Research, and Marc Lautenbach, general manager of IBM Americas.

Any questions about why IBM is called Big Blue are erased with word the company has 1 million alumni worldwide. Now, “Greater IBMers,” as they are known, have their own Web site: www.greateribm.com.