IBM announced a cash purchase of data‑infrastructure firm Confluent for $11 billion, offering $31 per share—about 50 % above the prior closing price. The deal is intended to boost IBM’s data and automation portfolio as cloud migration and AI adoption accelerate. IBM says Confluent’s real‑time streaming platform will complement its existing products and enhance its AI, automation, data, and consulting services. The acquisition is expected to improve EBITDA and free cash flow within two years and marks IBM’s largest buy in years, following recent moves such as the HashiCorp purchase and partnerships with Anthropic and AMD. Read more →