IBM + Confluent? This $11 Billion Deal Could Rewrite the Cloud Game!

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) recently presented its third-quarter 2025 financial results, showcasing both strengths and areas of concern. From a revenue perspective, IBM reported 7% growth, marking the highest increase in several years with sequential acceleration across all segments. This growth underscores the strength of IBM’s strategic focus on Hybrid Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are driving innovation and client engagement. Software revenue grew 9%, driven by Automation, which rose 22% due to strong demand and synergies from the HashiCorp acquisition. Consulting also showed a positive trend, returning to growth with a 2% increase in revenue, fueled by demand for AI services. This segment is adapting to AI-driven disruptions by integrating digital workers and demonstrating notable productivity gains. Moreover, IBM’s Infrastructure segment saw robust performance with a 15% increase, buoyed by strong demand for the z17 platform, which reported the highest third-quarter revenue in almost two decades.