IBM ecosystem of key interest during IBM Think 2025

The IBM ecosystem stepped into the spotlight at last week’s IBM Think event, where artificial intelligence stood out as more than innovation — it’s enterprise infrastructure, strategy and growth rolled into one.

Backed by fresh momentum from Red Hat, the HashiCorp acquisition and an expanding portfolio of AI-ready platforms, IBM is positioning itself as a leader in operationalizing AI at scale. Aiming to unlock real business value — from productivity gains to competitive edge — the event focused on how its ecosystem of partners and technologies is turning AI vision into enterprise outcomes.

“Despite concerns from investors about software growth and DOGE, our research indicates that Red Hat and HashiCorp are positioning IBM to deliver durable software-led growth,” said Dave Vellante, chief analyst at theCUBE Research.

Join analyst from theCUBE, SiliconANGLE’s livestreaming studio, on May 15 for key insights from IBM Think, including our exclusive interviews with experts from IBM Corp., PepsiCo Inc., Heineken USA Inc. and USAA. (* Disclosure below.)

IBM ecosystem and growth outlined

In addition to durable software-led growth, the upcoming z17 mainframe cycle could reenergize infrastructure and services, according to Vellante. If management executes, IBM can claim a stronger foothold in the hybrid cloud and AI arenas.

“For enterprise buyers and investors, the key metrics to watch are Red Hat ARR, the z17 ramp and how the company navigates a tricky environment in its consulting business,” Vellante said. “These will be indicators that IBM’s hybrid cloud-plus-AI thesis is becoming reality.”

In April, IBM reported revenue and earnings that beat analysts’ expectations and reaffirmed its guidance for the full fiscal year. The strong performance highlights growing enterprise demand for IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI strategy — and industry analysts are taking notice.

“IBM’s most recent results validate Arvind Krishna’s playbook: combine an open-arms partner model for AI infrastructure with an end to end best-of-breed hybrid-cloud stack, and then let Red Hat’s cloud-native engine supercharge everything,” said John Furrier, executive analyst with theCUBE Research. “The synergy is turning AI and generative-AI ambitions into measurable enterprise outcomes — fast.”

The past year has also been marked with significant developments for the company, including completing the $6.4B HashiCorp Inc. acquisition. The IBM ecosystem strategy has also embraced artificial intelligence as part of a broader ecosystem strategy.

“Red Hat gives IBM the open innovation flywheel, the hybrid platform provides the enterprise-grade runway, and together they’re propelling large customers straight into the next wave of value creation,” Furrier added. “The data show the strategy isn’t just working — it’s redefining how big businesses operationalize generative AI.”

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Think 2025 on May 15. Plus, you can watch theCUBE’s event coverage on-demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Think 2025, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

SiliconANGLE also has analyst deep dives in our Breaking Analysis podcast, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

Guests

During theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Think 2025, analysts will go beyond surface-level commentary to lead in-depth conversations with IBM executives, industry leaders and enterprise practitioners. From AI infrastructure and hybrid cloud innovations to emerging partner ecosystems, these discussions will unpack how IBM’s strategy is playing out in the real world.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for IBM Think. Neither IBM Corp., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Image: SiliconANGLE