IBM is one of the biggest IT corporations out there, and certainly among the oldest. Big Blue’s key to success is its ability to adapt to the market trends over the years, and its most recent earnings reflect this sort of long-term planning and expansion. They also reflect IBM’s sheer bulk, which falls under a category not shared with many growth companies today.

In the fourth quarter 2011, the enterprise services provider and tech maker reported a four percent increase to profit. IBM brought in $5.5 billion, and operational earnings per share grew by 11 percent from last year’s results, to $4.71 a share. The average figure analysts were looking it was $4.62, which IBM easily beat.

However, the company’s sales didn’t pick up as much momentum. Citing an unstable European economy, revenue did not meet Wall Street’s expectations; Big Blue made $29.5 billion, two percent more than last year. Nevertheless, shareholders are still clinging on to their stock.

“Virginia M. Rometty, I.B.M.’s chief executive, called the quarterly performance a “strong” finish to a year of record earnings per share, revenue and profit, reports The Wall Street Journal.

I.B.M. also expressed its confidence in the current year, saying it anticipated earnings for 2012 of “at least $14.85 a share.” That is above the Wall Street consensus of $14.76 a share, according to FactSet Research.

In after-hours trading, I.B.M. shares rose $4.50 a share, or 2.5 percent, to reach $185.05.”

IBM has been kicking off new several initiatives lately. That includes the launch of a Lotus-based Google Apps competitor, and the introduction of a hardware solution designed for software-defined networks. The joint offering fuses together technology from IBM and NEC with the Open Flow standard, the open protocol developed by academia to change the way networking infrastructure works today.