IBM is a global technology company that focuses on providing integrated solutions and products leveraging hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The company operates through key segments, including Software, Consulting, and Infrastructure, to support clients' digital transformations. IBM's offerings include a range of software solutions, consulting services, and infrastructure products, all designed to enhance business operations and drive innovation .
-
Software - Offers hybrid platform software solutions, transaction processing, and distributed infrastructure software, including proprietary and open-source software delivered through as-a-Service or cloud models, and on-premise licenses. Red Hat, part of this segment, has shown substantial growth .
-
Consulting - Provides business transformation, technology consulting, and application operations services, delivered through various models, including cloud and as-a-Service, crucial for clients preparing for AI integration .
-
Infrastructure - Delivers Hybrid Infrastructure solutions like zSystems and Distributed Infrastructure solutions such as Power and Storage, supporting mission-critical workloads and driving hardware and related software adoption .
You might also like
| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arvind Krishna ExecutiveBoard | Chairman, President, and CEO | Director of Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Director of Northrop Grumman Corporation | Joined IBM in 1990; became CEO in April 2020 and Chairman in December 2020; key architect of Red Hat acquisition. | View Report → |
Gary D. Cohn Executive | Vice Chairman | None | Vice Chairman since 2021; former COO of Goldman Sachs and Director of National Economic Council (2017-2018). | |
James J. Kavanaugh Executive | Senior Vice President and CFO | None | CFO of IBM; achieved $11.2B in free cash flow in 2023; led productivity initiatives and portfolio optimization. | |
Nickle J. LaMoreaux Executive | Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer | None | Chief HR Officer since 2020; no additional details provided in the documents. | |
Nicolás A. Fehring Executive | Vice President and Controller | None | Vice President and Controller; no additional details provided in the documents. | |
Robert D. Thomas Executive | Senior Vice President of Software and CCO | None | Leads IBM's software business and global sales; joined IBM in consulting and transitioned to software leadership in 2006-2007. | |
Alex Gorsky Board | Director | Director of Apple, JPMorgan Chase, and Travis Manion Foundation | Former Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson; expertise in healthcare and corporate governance. | |
Andrew N. Liveris Board | Director | Chairman of Lucid Motors (stepping down April 2024); Director of Worley and Saudi Aramco | Former Chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical; expertise in global business and sustainability; President of Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee. | |
David N. Farr Board | Director | None | Retired Chairman and CEO of Emerson Electric Co.; expertise in global business and technology. | |
F. William McNabb III Board | Director | Director of UnitedHealth Group and Axiom; Co-Chair of CECP | Former Chairman and CEO of Vanguard; expertise in investment management and corporate governance. | |
Frederick H. Waddell Board | Director | Director of AbbVie Inc.; Trustee of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Northwestern University | Retired Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Corporation; expertise in financial services and corporate governance. | |
Marianne C. Brown Board | Director | Director of Akamai Technologies, The Charles Schwab Corporation, and Northrop Grumman Corporation | Former COO of FIS Global Financial Solutions; expertise in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and technology services. | |
Martha E. Pollack Board | Director | President of Cornell University | President of Cornell University; computer scientist with expertise in artificial intelligence and organizational leadership. | |
Michael Miebach Board | Director | CEO of Mastercard; Member of Business Roundtable, Business Council, and World Economic Forum | CEO of Mastercard since 2021; expertise in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and global business. | |
Michelle J. Howard Board | Director | None | Retired U.S. Navy Admiral; first African American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship and achieve four-star rank; expertise in cybersecurity and leadership. | |
Peter R. Voser Board | Director | Chairman of ABB Ltd.; Director of Temasek Holdings and PSA International | Former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell; expertise in global business, energy, and technology. | |
Thomas Buberl Board | Director | CEO of AXA S.A.; Member of Supervisory Board of Bertelsmann VerwaltungsGesellschaft | CEO of AXA since 2016; expertise in digital transformation and insurance; member of Climate Finance Leadership Initiative. |
-
Consulting revenue was flat this quarter with signings declining for the second consecutive quarter; given the ongoing macroeconomic challenges and client spending shifts, how confident are you in Consulting returning to growth in 2025, and what specific strategies are you implementing to drive this turnaround?
-
With the HashiCorp acquisition potentially diluting free cash flow in the near term, especially if Consulting remains flat, how do you plan to achieve the high single-digit free cash flow growth you've previously targeted for 2025?
-
IBM's revenue growth has averaged around 3% in several of the past four years, below your mid-single-digit model; considering that some growth drivers like the mainframe cycle and acquisitions could be one-time boosts, what initiatives are in place to ensure sustainable mid-single-digit revenue growth beyond 2025?
-
While your generative AI book of business has grown significantly, you mentioned that these AI engagements have longer durations and lower immediate revenue yield; how will this affect your Consulting revenue growth and margins in the near term, and when do you expect these AI investments to contribute meaningfully to your financial performance?
-
Software segment profit margin expanded to about 30% this quarter, above historical levels; given the competitive pressures in the software industry, how sustainable is this margin expansion, and what risks could potentially impact your software margins moving forward?
Research analysts who have asked questions during INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES earnings calls.
Amit Daryanani
Evercore
6 questions for IBM
Erik Woodring
Morgan Stanley
6 questions for IBM
Wamsi Mohan
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
6 questions for IBM
Brian Essex
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
4 questions for IBM
Benjamin Reitzes
Melius Research
3 questions for IBM
Ben Reitzes
Melius Research LLC
3 questions for IBM
James Schneider
Goldman Sachs
3 questions for IBM
Jim Schneider
Goldman Sachs
3 questions for IBM
Matthew Swanson
RBC Capital Markets
3 questions for IBM
Brent Thill
Jefferies
2 questions for IBM
Mark Newman
Bernstein
2 questions for IBM
Toni Sacconaghi
Bernstein
1 question for IBM
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
Applications Software Technology LLC (AST) | 2025 | IBM plans to acquire AST in Q1 2025 to enhance its Oracle Cloud Application offerings for public sector digital transformations; the deal’s financial terms were not disclosed and AST will join IBM Consulting. |
StreamSets | 2024 | IBM completed the acquisition of StreamSets for approximately $2.3 billion in cash to add real‑time data ingestion and integration capabilities to its watsonx platform, integrating the company into its Software segment. |
webMethods | 2024 | IBM acquired webMethods alongside StreamSets in a bundled $2.3 billion cash transaction to enhance its integration platform (iPaaS) and hybrid cloud capabilities, with the business integrated into the Software segment. |
HashiCorp, Inc. | 2024 | IBM agreed to acquire HashiCorp for an enterprise value of $6.4 billion at $35 per share in cash to build a comprehensive hybrid cloud platform leveraging Terraform and Vault, with the transaction expected to be accretive and subject to regulatory approvals. |
StepZen, Inc. | 2023 | IBM completed the acquisition of StepZen in February 2023 to add GraphQL API technology that facilitates quicker API development; the financial impact was minimal, supporting IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI strategy. |
ASL Portfolio of Uptake Technologies | 2023 | Acquired in Q1 2023, this portfolio brings an industrial asset management data library that enhances IBM’s capabilities in hybrid cloud and AI within its Software segment. |
NS1 | 2023 | IBM integrated NS1, a leading network automation SaaS provider, into its Software segment following its February 2023 acquisition aimed at strengthening the company’s cloud and AI solutions; financial details were not disclosed. |
Ahana Cloud, Inc. | 2023 | Acquired in April 2023, Ahana Cloud brings expertise in open‑source, managed cloud‑native data analytics solutions to IBM’s Software segment, with complete financial terms yet to be fully disclosed. |
Polar Security | 2023 | IBM acquired Polar Security in Q2 2023 to boost its data security offerings for cloud and SaaS applications, aligning with its multi‑cloud and hybrid cloud strategies. |
Agyla SAS | 2023 | Acquired in Q2 2023, Agyla SAS is a leading provider of cloud, DevOps, and security services in France and was integrated into IBM’s Consulting segment to strengthen its hybrid cloud offerings. |
Apptio, Inc. | 2023 | IBM closed its acquisition of Apptio in Q3 2023 for approximately $4.6 billion in cash to accelerate IT management and automation capabilities, generating significant goodwill and integrating the business into its Software segment. |
Envizi | 2022 | IBM acquired Envizi in early 2022 to enhance environmental performance management through data analytics, integrating its capabilities into the Environmental Intelligence Suite within the Software segment as part of a broader $798 million package. |
Sentaca | 2022 | Completed in Q1 2022, IBM acquired Sentaca, a telco consulting services provider specializing in automation and cloud migration, as part of a $798 million acquisition package to bolster its Consulting segment. |
Neudesic | 2022 | IBM acquired Neudesic in February 2022, a company specializing in application development and cloud services, to enhance its hybrid cloud and AI strategy within the Consulting segment; this acquisition was part of a broader package totaling $798 million. |
Randori | 2022 | IBM completed the Q2 2022 acquisition of Randori, a cybersecurity attack surface management provider, to strengthen its security portfolio and complement solutions like QRadar XDR in its hybrid cloud strategy. |
Databand.ai | 2022 | Acquired in Q2 2022, Databand.ai provides a proactive data observability platform that enhances IBM’s Data Fabric capabilities; the deal’s purchase price allocation included $903 million in goodwill and $87 million for completed technology. |
Omnio | 2022 | IBM completed the Q3 2022 acquisition of Omnio, a developer of IoT connectors for industrial raw data collection, as part of an aggregate acquisition cost of $1,102 million for six deals, supporting its hybrid cloud and AI ambitions. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for IBM.
- IBM announced the general availability of the IBM Defense Model, a defense-specific AI model developed in collaboration with Janes to accelerate mission planning and decision support.
- The model is optimized for air-gapped and classified environments, built on IBM’s Granite foundation models, which hold ISO 42001 certification for AI governance.
- It integrates continuous defense intelligence from Janes and supports use cases such as mission planning, analyst reporting, wargaming, and simulation.
- IBM delivered 7% revenue growth in Q3, the highest in several years, with all segments accelerating sequentially.
- Software revenue rose 9% YoY to an ARR of $23.2 bn, led by Automation +22%, Red Hat +12% revenue, and OpenShift ARR $1.8 bn (+30%).
- Infrastructure grew 15%, driven by IBM Z’s 59% revenue increase on z17, and Consulting returned to growth with 2% revenue growth.
- Generated $7.2 bn free cash flow in the first nine months (record nine-month margin) and raised full‐year FCF guidance to ~$14 bn, with operating pre‐tax margin expansion now over 1 pp.
- IBM delivered $16.3 billion in revenue, up 9% year-over-year (7% constant currency).
- Gross profit margin improved to 57.3% GAAP (+1.1 pts) and 58.7% non-GAAP (+1.2 pts); generative AI book of business exceeds $9.5 billion.
- Year-to-date, net cash from operating activities was $9.2 billion and free cash flow $7.2 billion.
- Raised full-year 2025 outlook to >5% constant-currency revenue growth and ~$14 billion free cash flow; declared a $1.68 per share quarterly dividend.
- IBM reported Q3 revenue of $16.3 billion, up 9% year-over-year (7% at constant currency) with all segments contributing to growth.
- Software revenue reached $7.2 billion (+10% Y/Y, +9% CC), Consulting was $5.3 billion (+3% Y/Y, +2% CC) and Infrastructure hit $3.6 billion (+17% Y/Y, +15% CC).
- In Q3, IBM generated $3.1 billion of net operating cash flow and $2.4 billion of free cash flow; year-to-date free cash flow is $7.2 billion.
- The company raised its full-year outlook to >5% constant-currency revenue growth and approximately $14 billion of free cash flow.
- IBM declared a $1.68 per-share quarterly dividend, payable December 10, 2025.
- The QCaaS market is estimated at USD 4.35 Billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to USD 74.36 Billion by 2033, at a 42.60% CAGR from 2026–2033.
- The U.S. QCaaS segment is expected to expand from USD 1.43 Billion in 2025 to USD 22.18 Billion by 2033, registering a 40.92% CAGR.
- Rapid enterprise adoption, cloud-based deployments, and increased investment in quantum hardware and software are key growth drivers.
- In June 2025, IBM announced plans to build the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer at its Poughkeepsie, NY, data center.
- IBM and Groq formed a strategic partnership to integrate GroqCloud inference technology with IBM watsonx Orchestrate, enabling faster agentic AI deployment for enterprise clients.
- The collaboration will integrate and enhance RedHat open-source vLLM technology with Groq's LPU architecture and support IBM Granite models on GroqCloud.
- GroqCloud’s custom LPU delivers over 5X faster and more cost-efficient AI inference than traditional GPU systems, ensuring low latency and reliable performance at scale.
- The offering targets mission-critical sectors—healthcare, finance, government, retail, and manufacturing—and non-regulated HR automation, with high-speed inference, security & privacy-focused deployment, and seamless watsonx integration.
- IBM and Groq form a strategic partnership to integrate Groq’s high-speed LPUs with IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate platform, aiming to accelerate enterprise AI deployment by reducing latency and costs.
- Groq’s LPU delivers inference speeds over five times faster and at significantly lower costs than traditional GPUs, with consistent performance at scale for sectors like healthcare, finance, and retail.
- The collaboration will support virtual large language models and Red Hat’s open-source LLM framework on Groq’s architecture, enhancing AI orchestration in regulated industries.
- Groq has added 12 new data center locations in 2025, plans rapid global expansion, and has raised $1.8 billion in funding, including a $750 million round valuing the company at $6.9 billion.
- Bharti Airtel and IBM formed a strategic partnership to integrate IBM’s cloud and AI infrastructure into Airtel Cloud for regulated industries, enhancing interoperability across on-premise, multiple clouds, and edge environments.
- Airtel Cloud customers will be able to consume IBM’s Power11 autonomous, AI-ready servers as-a-Service, supporting enterprise workloads such as IBM Power AIX, IBM i, Linux, and SAP Cloud ERP on IBM Power Virtual Server.
- The collaboration expands Airtel’s India footprint from 4 to 10 availability zones, with two new Multizone Regions planned in Mumbai and Chennai to bolster data residency and resilience.
- IBM’s software stack, including watsonx and Red Hat OpenShift AI, will enable hybrid-cloud AI inferencing and generative AI deployments to drive digital innovation at scale.
- IBM has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cognitus, a leading SAP S/4HANA services provider specializing in regulated industries
- Cognitus offers AI-powered, SAP-endorsed software assets including CIS-GovCon, CLM, Data Migration, and Real-Time Billing to streamline end-to-end SAP S/4HANA implementations
- The acquisition bolsters IBM’s SAP capabilities within its AI-led IBM Consulting Advantage platform, aiming to drive productivity and operational efficiency for clients
- Financial terms were not disclosed; deal subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals
- IBM names Script Network as a Preferred Technology Partner to provide decentralized video infrastructure, cloud automation, and video data services to its enterprise clients worldwide.
- The partnership integrates blockchain-based video infrastructure, media asset management, and large-scale file transfer into IBM’s Partner Plus ecosystem.
- It taps into a rapidly growing global video infrastructure and cloud automation market projected to exceed $750 billion by 2030.
- Script Technologies gains direct access to IBM’s enterprise client base, embedding its decentralized media services within IBM’s cloud and AI automation frameworks.