IBM is changing enterprise AI with new hybrid technologies designed to break down barriers to scaling, enabling businesses to deploy AI agents with their proprietary data. Announced at the annual Think event, these innovations promise to accelerate AI adoption while driving measurable ROI.
The Urgent Need for Scalable AI Solutions
With over one billion apps expected by 2028, enterprises face mounting pressure to integrate AI across fragmented environments. A recent IBM CEO study reveals that:
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Business leaders anticipate AI investment growth to more than double in the next two years.
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Most are actively adopting AI agents, but only 25% have achieved expected ROI due to disconnected tech stacks.
IBM’s response? A hybrid AI approach combining agent capabilities, deep industry expertise, and seamless integration to help businesses operationalize AI at scale.
“The era of AI experimentation is over. Today’s competitive advantage comes from purpose-built AI integration that drives measurable business outcomes,” said Arvind Krishna, IBM Chairman and CEO.
IBM Watsonx Orchestrate: Build & Deploy AI Agents in Minutes
IBM’s Watsonx Orchestrate is a game-changer, offering enterprise-ready AI agents that work across 80+ leading business applications, including: Adobe, AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow and Workday.
Key Features of Watsonx Orchestrate:
- Build-Your-Own-Agent in Under 5 Minutes – No-code and pro-code tools for seamless deployment.
- Pre-Built Domain Agents – Specialized for HR, sales, procurement, and more.
- Agent Orchestration – Multi-agent coordination for complex workflows.
- Agent Observability – Performance monitoring, governance, and optimization.
IBM also introduced the Agent Catalog, providing access to 150+ pre-built agents from partners like Mastercard, Oracle, and Salesforce. For example:
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A Salesforce-integrated sales agent for prospecting.
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A Slack-embedded HR agent for conversational HR support.
Forrester Study: 176% ROI with Hybrid Integration
AI adoption is accelerating, but integration remains a major hurdle. IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration replaces rigid workflows with AI-driven automation, delivering:
- 176% ROI over three years (Forrester TEI study)
- 40% reduction in downtime
- 67% time savings on simple projects
- 33% time savings on complex projects
This solution integrates with HashiCorp Terraform and Vault for secure, scalable hybrid cloud automation.
Unlocking Unstructured Data for AI
80% of enterprise data is unstructured-hidden in contracts, spreadsheets, and presentations. IBM’s enhanced Watsonx.data helps businesses activate this data with:
- Open data lakehouse + data fabric for unified governance.
- 40% more accurate AI than conventional RAG models.
- New watsonx.data intelligence for deep unstructured data insights.
IBM also announced its intent to acquire DataStax, enhancing vector search capabilities for generative AI. Additionally, IBM Fusion’s Content-Aware Storage (CAS) now processes unstructured data for faster AI inferencing.
IBM LinuxONE 5: The Ultimate AI Infrastructure
For enterprises needing secure, high-performance AI infrastructure, IBM LinuxONE 5 delivers:
- 450 billion AI inferences per day
- Quantum-safe encryption for future-proof security
- 44% lower TCO vs. x86 solutions over five years
- Telum II AI processor & Spyre Accelerator (coming Q4 2025)
IBM has also expanded partnerships with AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and CoreWeave to enhance GPU and AI-accelerated workloads.
The Future of Enterprise AI is Here
IBM’s latest innovations provide a clear path to scalable, ROI-driven AI adoption. From AI agents in Watsonx Orchestrate to hybrid integration and quantum-safe infrastructure, businesses now have the tools to turn AI potential into real-world impact.
Are you ready to scale AI in your enterprise? IBM’s hybrid solutions are paving the way.
