Tech giant IBM has completed its $11-billion acquisition of Confluent Inc. to strengthen real-time data capabilities for enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) and automated agents.
Confluent, a data streaming platform used by more than 6,500 enterprises, including 40% of Fortune 500 companies, enables organizations to process and move data continuously across systems. IBM said the acquisition positions it to deliver a unified data platform that feeds AI models, agents, and workflows with live, trusted information across on-premises and hybrid cloud environments.
The deal reflects a broader shift among enterprises moving from AI experimentation to production deployment, where access to timely and reliable data has become a key constraint. Many organizations still rely on fragmented systems where data is delayed by hours or days, limiting the effectiveness of AI-driven decisions.
By combining IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI portfolio with Confluent’s streaming technology built on Apache Kafka, the companies aim to address this gap. The integrated platform allows enterprises to continuously stream, govern, and process data in real time, enabling AI systems to act on current information instead of outdated datasets.
“Transactions happen in milliseconds, and AI decisions need to happen just as fast. With Confluent, we are giving clients the ability to move trusted data continuously across their entire operation so their AI models and agents can act on what is happening right now, not on data that is hours old,” said Rob Thomas, SVP, IBM Software and chief commercial officer, IBM.
Industry projections highlight the scale of demand. Research firm IDC estimates more than one billion new logical applications will be created by 2028, driven largely by AI. These applications require a data foundation that supports continuous, real-time data flow with built-in governance and security controls.
Confluent’s technology is already embedded in large-scale enterprise operations across industries. French tire manufacturer Michelin uses the platform to manage real-time inventory across a supply chain spanning 170 countries, achieving 35% cost savings while maintaining visibility. L’Oréal streams product and inventory updates in real time to respond faster to consumer demand. BMW Group processes IoT data from more than 30 production sites, while Ticketmaster uses real-time streaming to manage ticket inventory, sales, and customer activity across hundreds of systems.
“Since our founding, Confluent’s mission has been to set the world’s data in motion, making data streaming as foundational to the enterprise as the database. Joining IBM allows us to accelerate that mission at a much greater scale,” said Jay Kreps, CEO and co-founder of Confluent. “IBM’s global reach and deep enterprise relationships will help us go further, faster. As enterprises move from experimenting with AI to running their business on it, helping data flow continuously across the business has never mattered more. I’m excited to see what we’ll build together.”
IBM said the integration will immediately extend across its portfolio. Confluent’s streaming platform will feed live operational data into watsonx.data, enabling AI models and agents to operate with up-to-date context and built-in governance controls. The combination also enhances IBM Z systems by allowing real-time streaming of transactional data for analytics and automation.
Confluent will strengthen IBM’s event-driven architecture offerings, including IBM MQ and webMethods Hybrid Integration, enabling applications and AI agents to detect and respond to business events in real time across hybrid environments.
Under the agreement, IBM acquired all outstanding shares of Confluent for $31 per share in cash.