IBM and Microsoft Deepen AI, Cloud Push Together

IBM is creating a dedicated Microsoft team within its consulting arm, deepening a relationship that has been helping businesses achieve real results from their tech investments for years.

IBM signals deeper American investment

The tech giant announced recently that it’s pouring $150 billion into America over the next five years, aiming to boost the economy and cement the country’s position as the world’s computing powerhouse. A hefty $30 billion of that money will go directly into research and development, keeping IBM’s production of mainframe and quantum computers firmly on American soil.

The Microsoft move is likely a part of this initiative. The team will bring together IBM’s industry expertise with Microsoft’s powerful tools like Copilot, Azure AI, and security solutions. The idea is to simplify digital transformation for companies seeking to stay competitive.

For business leaders, this means having experts who uniquely understand both their industry’s challenges and how to leverage Microsoft’s technology. This will ultimately help them grow, cut costs, and gain a solid footing in the market.

“IBM Consulting is committed to our clients’ successes and we’re proud to offer them the opportunity of working with an ecosystem of global industry leaders with proven track records of innovation and delivery excellence,” said Mohamad Ali, senior vice president and head of IBM Consulting. “Establishing a dedicated Microsoft Practice is needed to drive meaningful business outcomes for our clients and I look forward to what we will be able to achieve together.”

A powerhouse team for business transformation

The new practice brings together over 33,000 Microsoft-certified professionals across IBM Consulting’s global footprint, offering clients:

• Innovation muscle: Deep expertise spanning cloud, AI, data, and security technologies
• Global reach: Implementation capabilities in every major market, including access to the newly opened IBM and Microsoft Experience Zones
• Complete transformation support: Seamless service from initial strategy through implementation and ongoing optimization
• Enterprise-grade protection: Security and compliance controls built on the rigorous standards that only two global tech leaders can deliver

Breaking down industry barriers with tailored solutions

IBM is also integrating Microsoft’s technology ecosystem into its AI-powered delivery platform, IBM Consulting Advantage. With the addition of advanced Copilot features, businesses can now roll out AI tools that truly align with their objectives, all while maintaining data security and adhering to company policies.

“IBM’s launch of a Microsoft Practice is a pivotal step in our shared mission to empower customers through cloud and AI technologies,” said Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer at Microsoft.

The new practice is creating tailored solutions for industries such as retail, government, and financial services, building on previous offerings like IBM Copilot Runway and Azure OpenAI Services, which help clients scale generative AI adoption and boost efficiency.

Microsoft has been busy lately, and recently established a new partner organization to drive AI and other tech sales through partners. Read more about the changes announced in February.