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Acquisitions/Divestitures (Narratives) (Details 1) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Acquisition
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Acquisitions:      
Businesses acquired, number (in entities) 2ibm_BusinessAcquisitionNumberOfAcquisitionsCompleted    
Businesses acquired, aggregate cost $ 47us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1    
Goodwill 29,871us-gaap_Goodwill 30,556us-gaap_Goodwill 31,184us-gaap_Goodwill
Software      
Acquisitions:      
Goodwill 20,603us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ibm_SoftwareSegmentMember
21,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ibm_SoftwareSegmentMember
21,121us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ibm_SoftwareSegmentMember
Businesses acquired, privately held companies number 2ibm_BusinessAcquisitionNumberOfAcquisitionsPrivatelyHeldCompaniesCompleted
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ibm_SoftwareSegmentMember
   
Acquisitions      
Acquisitions:      
Acquired intangible asset, weighted average useful life 4 years 11 months    
Expected percent of goodwill deductible for tax purposes 11.00%ibm_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductiblePercent
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
   
Total purchase price 47us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredGoodwillAndLiabilitiesAssumedNet
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
   
Goodwill 36us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
   
Acquisitions | Software      
Acquisitions:      
Goodwill $ 36us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ibm_SoftwareSegmentMember