IBM Corp.’s watsonx announcement a year ago stirred concerns about the company’s reach into the upper echelons of AI technology. However, the company has since strategically zeroed in on AI middleware.

TheCUBE provides exclusive analyst insights live from IBM Think, including the company’s evolving AI strategy.

This pivot is aimed at enabling customers to leverage their enterprise data with open-source large language models and IBM’s suite of tools, marking a significant shift from their previous foray into AI.

“They’re going after making sure that customers can take their enterprise data, use open source LLMs, use the tools that they have that IBM is providing to really start to apply AI in a way that’s valuable for those customers,” said Crawford Del Prete (pictured, left), president of International Data Corp. “I think that’s really very central to IBM’s long-term strategy.”

Del Prete and Sanjeev Mohan (right), principal of SanjMo, spoke with theCUBE Research’s Dave Vellante at IBM Think, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed IBM’s long-term AI strategy focusing on middleware and cross-platform integration, coupled with its robust hybrid cloud and mainframe solutions. (* Disclosure below.)

Cross-platform AI integration

Broadly, IBM’s strategy covers hybrid cloud, AI and consulting. Thus, the company’s AI middleware is being channeled out across multiple platforms, including Amazon Web Services Inc., rather than just the IBM cloud ecosystem, according to Mohan.

“My big takeaway is IBM has really sharpened their focus,” he said. “They’re laser-focused on that middleware, and they are the software infrastructure layer. Everything is infused with AI now — it’s cross platform. It’s not just IBM Cloud; it’s AWS and every other cloud.”

Another focal area is IBM’s performance in hybrid cloud and mainframe solutions. The company has successfully executed strategies that support multiple platforms while complementing IBM’s existing systems. The mainframe segment, in particular, has seen unexpected growth, even in off-cycles, showcasing IBM’s ability to innovate and adapt in this traditional domain, according to Del Prete.

“I think there’s a fair amount of work to do, but I think [SVP] Ric Lewis and the hybrid cloud group are executing quite well,” Del Prete said. “They’re supporting multiple platforms. I think that they’re also able to complement that with the systems that they have.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of IBM Think: 

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for IBM Think. Neither IBM Corp., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE