Technology company IBM is working with semiconductor and software design company Arm to build new hardware designed for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and data-heavy workloads, as enterprises choose faster and more flexible systems.
The collaboration focuses on dual-architecture computing, which allows systems to run both IBM and Arm-based technologies. The companies aim to help businesses run AI and modern applications more efficiently without giving up reliability or security.
IBM said its long experience in enterprise systems, from chips to software and security, puts it in a strong position as companies move AI from testing to real-world use. The company continues to invest in processors like Telum II and accelerators such as Spyre to support this shift.
“As enterprises scale AI and modernize their infrastructure, the breadth of the Arm software ecosystem is enabling these workloads to run across a broader range of environments,” said Mohamed Awad, EVP, Cloud AI Business Unit of Arm. “Our collaboration with IBM builds on this progress… giving organizations greater flexibility in how they deploy and scale these workloads.”
The partnership focuses on three key areas. First is virtualization, which will let Arm-based applications run inside IBM systems. This could make it easier for developers to move software across platforms.
Second is improving performance while meeting strict enterprise needs such as security, uptime, and data sovereignty. Both companies are working on ways for IBM systems to recognize and run Arm-based applications smoothly.
Third is ecosystem growth. By aligning their technologies, IBM and Arm aim to give businesses more software options and reduce the need for major system changes.
“Our aim is to expand software choice and improve system performance while maintaining the reliability and security our clients expect,” said Tina Tarquinio, chief product officer of IBM Z and LinuxONE.
For IBM, the partnership builds on decades of enterprise computing leadership.
“This marks the latest step in our innovation journey for future generations of IBM Z and LinuxONE systems,” said Christian Jacobi, chief technology officer of IBM Systems Development.
As AI adoption grows, enterprises are looking for systems that can adapt quickly without major trade-offs. IBM and Arm are betting this partnership will meet that demand.