Steve Mills is closing in on 40 years at IBM, one of the most influential players in the industry. He has been instrumental in the growth of IBM’s Software Group since its inception in 1995 and in 2010 hardware and systems were added to his load. He directs approximately 100,000 employees that span development, manufacturing, sales, marketing and support. IBM's product business accounts for $40 billion of IBM's overall revenue. Although IBM has been very acquisitive over the years, Mills has said that it is often customers who identify gaps in its portfolio or capabilities and that any acquisition he and the company make must close those gaps.