General Motors and its information technology operations have had a complicated relationship over the last 30 years. They've moved in together, separated and even seen other companies. Now that they're back together for what seems like the long term, here's a look at their on-again, off-again affair.
1984: GM purchases Electronic Data Systems Corp. as an IT subsidiary for $2.55 billion; EDS founder Ross Perot joins the GM board of directors and becomes GM's largest individual stockholder; retains control of EDS as chairman.
1986: GM pays Perot $700 million to leave the board over squabbles with other directors and management, including CEO Roger Smith.
1995: GM announces a plan to spin off EDS, allowing the automaker to focus on its core business and EDS more freedom to win contracts with other companies.
1996: GM spins off EDS tax-free for an estimated $25 billion, 10 times the value it paid for it; EDS remains GM's largest provider of information services.
2008: Hewlett-Packard Co. buys EDS for $13.9 billion, more than 5 times what GM paid for it.
2010: GM signs a multiyear IT contract with Hewlett-Packard worth more than $2 billion, renewing an existing contract a year early.
2012: GM hires former Hewlett-Packard executive Randy Mott as global chief information officer for his "ability to transform global IT operations." The company announces a 3-to-5-year "IT transformation" to insource those operations, including hiring up to 10,000 people and creating innovation centers in Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Michigan.
2013: Mott, when opening 1 of 2 data warehouses near Detroit, confirms GM is spending nearly $550 million on equipment and infrastructure to consolidate its data storage from 23 outsourced centers into the 2 new facilities.
2017: GM completes the insourcing, with IT employees now numbering 10,000.
Source: Automotive News research
