International Business Machines Corp Stock Price, News & Analysis

IBM and Tokyo Electron (TEL) have announced a new 5-year collaboration agreement focused on advancing semiconductor and chiplet technology for generative AI applications. This renewal extends their two-decade partnership in semiconductor research and development.

The collaboration will leverage IBM's semiconductor process integration expertise and TEL's leading-edge equipment to explore smaller nodes and chiplet architectures, aiming to meet future AI performance and energy efficiency requirements. The partnership has previously achieved significant breakthroughs, including developing a laser debonding process for 300 mm silicon chip wafers in 3D chip stacking technology.

The research will continue at the Albany NanoTech Complex, recently selected as America's first National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC EUV Accelerator), where both companies are active members of the semiconductor research ecosystem.

IBM has expanded its as-a-service portfolio with the introduction of IBM Storage Ceph as a Service, a fully managed software-defined storage solution for on-premises infrastructure. This new offering unifies block, file, and object data management while reducing operational complexity for IT teams.

The launch aligns with IDC's projection that by 2028, 80% of IT buyers will prioritize as-a-service consumption for key workloads. The portfolio includes IBM Power Virtual Server, which supports enterprise workloads like SAP, IBM i, Oracle, and AI.

A notable implementation case is National Van Lines, which adopted IBM Power Virtual Server to improve disaster recovery times from days to hours. The service allows enterprises to pay only for used computing resources, including memory, storage, and CPU, while IBM manages the infrastructure in their data centers.

Finastra and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have announced their collaboration on an enhanced cloud-based lending managed services offering. The Lending Cloud Service (LCS) will provide comprehensive services for Finastra's Corporate Lending solutions, supported by IBM for clients in North America and Europe.

The service leverages IBM's generative AI platform watsonx and is delivered on Microsoft Azure. Key features include quick deployment, standardized processes via service automation, enhanced value through cloud economics, and ongoing compliance with market protocols. The cornerstone of LCS is Service Value Management (SVM), focusing on customer-first, continuous improvement approach to managing cloud transformation.

IBM Consulting will provide design, implementation, and ongoing services, aiming to help Finastra expand its business in these regions.

IBM has announced new collaborations with NVIDIA to enhance enterprise AI capabilities, including planned integrations based on the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design. The partnership focuses on helping enterprises scale and manage generative AI workloads and agentic AI applications more effectively.

Key announcements include:

• A new content-aware storage (CAS) capability for IBM Fusion, planned for Q2 2025
• Expanded watsonx integrations with NVIDIA NIM
• Introduction of NVIDIA H200 instances on IBM Cloud
• New IBM Consulting capabilities for agentic reasoning

The collaboration aims to overcome AI's technical challenges through improved data management, performance, security, and governance. According to IBM's 2024 report, 77% of executives now consider generative AI market-ready, up from 36% in 2023.

IBM and the Basque Government have announced plans to install Europe's first IBM Quantum System Two at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in San Sebastian, Spain. The system will be powered by a 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron processor, representing IBM's most advanced modular quantum computer to date.

The installation, expected to be completed by the end of 2025, updates the original plan to install an IBM Quantum System One. The Heron processor can execute utility-scale algorithms beyond classical simulation methods, capable of running certain quantum circuits with up to 5,000 two-qubit gate operations.

This initiative is part of the BasQ program launched in 2023, aimed at establishing the Basque Country as a leading technology hub. The center's members will utilize the system to advance research in physics, information science, and materials science, supporting the Basque Country Government's IKUR 2030 vision for quantum technologies.

Mitsubishi Motors Canada has launched an AI-powered 'Intelligent Companion' for the 2025 Outlander, developed in collaboration with WongDoody and IBM. The tool, launched on March 5, 2025, utilizes IBM's watsonx portfolio and Granite model to provide an interactive 3D visual guide of the vehicle.

The AI-driven system offers personalized experiences, allowing customers to explore the Outlander in a real-world, branded environment. Built with IBM watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx.ai, it handles customer queries with natural, conversational responses and adapts to individual needs.

The project was developed rapidly, moving from concept to market launch in just twelve weeks. The system was specifically trained and tested with Canadian target audiences to ensure relevance and value in addressing niche questions about the vehicle.

IBM and partners have launched the 2025 Call for Code program, inviting developers to create AI-powered solutions addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program features five qualifying hackathons throughout the year, with the first event running March 20-31, 2025, focusing on clean water and sanitation.

Participants will use technologies like watsonx.ai and IBM Cloud services to develop proof-of-concept solutions. Teams of 1-5 developers can win $5,000 USD and conference passes for each hackathon, with qualifying teams advancing to compete for the grand prize of $50,000 USD.

The initiative includes collaboration with IBM's TechXchange Client Advocacy team and features a special hackathon addressing climate action as part of the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. Winners will receive open-source project support from the Linux Foundation, with final results announced in December.

Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) and IBM have announced an expanded collaboration focusing on integrating Juniper's Mist AI with IBM's watsonx platform to enhance enterprise network management. The partnership aims to address IT network complexities and improve user experiences while reducing operational costs.

Two key projects are being developed: IBM Guest Services, which integrates Mist AI with watsonx Orchestrate to automate Wi-Fi support tickets, and IBM AskNetwork, an internal tool using watsonx Orchestrate and Mist AI to resolve network infrastructure issues. The companies plan to explore additional capabilities in location-based insights and diagnostics for industries like healthcare and retail.

IBM has completed its acquisition of HashiCorp for $35 per share, representing an enterprise value of $6.4 billion. The acquisition strengthens IBM's hybrid cloud platform capabilities, as HashiCorp specializes in automating and securing infrastructure for hybrid cloud applications and generative AI.

The merger comes at a time when nearly 75% of enterprises are using hybrid cloud, and projections indicate generative AI will drive the creation of 1 billion new cloud-native applications by 2028. HashiCorp's key products, including Terraform and Vault, are now available through IBM's automation software portfolio.

The integration creates synergies across multiple IBM growth areas, including Red Hat, watsonx, data security, IT automation, and Consulting. The combined capabilities aim to help clients accelerate innovation, strengthen security, and optimize cloud infrastructure management at scale.