Home / IBM News Today: AI, Quantum Computing, & Global Investments

IBM News Today: AI, Quantum Computing, & Global Investments

By: Jasmin Espinas
May 8, 2025

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is making bold moves across tech and business. Recent IBM news highlights the company’s focus on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and expanding its global presence.

The company is applying AI to improve how industries operate, building advanced quantum systems, and investing in international markets to support its long-term growth.

IBM News Today: IBM Pledges $150 Billion Investment In U.S. Tech

IBM has shared plans to invest $150 billion in the United States over the next five years. Part of this includes $30 billion for building its mainframe and quantum computers on American soil.

Earlier this month, the company introduced the z17, a new mainframe designed to work with artificial intelligence.

IBM’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, said the company has supported American jobs and manufacturing for over a century. He added that this new investment will keep IBM at the center of advanced computing and AI.

Furthermore, this move will help the U.S. grow as a global tech leader. The company also said it runs the world’s largest group of quantum computers and will keep making them in the U.S.

IBM News: IBM’s Q1 2025 Earnings Results

IBM made $14.5 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2025. That’s a 1% increase from last year, or 2% after adjusting for currency changes.

Then, software brought the strongest results. It rose 7%, or 9% at constant currency. Consulting dropped 2%, while infrastructure fell 6%.

IBM also raised its profit margins. The gross profit margin reached 55.2%, and the operating margin climbed to 56.6%. Pre-tax income grew to 8% under regular reporting and 12% for operating results.

On the other hand, the company brought in $4.4 billion in cash from operations. It also reported $2 billion in free cash flow.

Furthermore, IBM beat expectations across revenue, profit, and cash flow. CEO Arvind Krishna pointed to strong software performance and growing demand for generative AI. IBM’s AI-related business grew by over $1 billion in the quarter, reaching more than $6 billion overall.

Krishna added that IBM expects steady growth through the rest of the year and plans to keep its current targets for revenue and free cash flow.

IBM Partners With Box to Streamline Workflow

IBM has partnered with Box to help companies manage their files and communication in one place.

The partnership combines IBM’s tech with Box’s cloud tools. Together, they offer a secure, simple way for teams to store, organize, and share content.

This setup makes it easier for employees to work together, whether they’re in the office or remote. Box also connects with company apps, so teams don’t have to switch between platforms.

IBM Expands Enterprise Gen AI With Hybrid Capabilities

IBM has introduced new tools that help companies use AI with their own data. These updates make it easier to build and launch AI systems without being limited by different platforms or tech setups.

IBM expects businesses to create more than one billion apps by 2028. To keep up, companies will need systems that work together smoothly and handle large amounts of data.

To support this, IBM is bringing together hybrid cloud tools, AI agent features, and help from IBM Consulting. These combined efforts aim to make AI easier to use in real work settings.

Additionally, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said companies now need AI that delivers results, not just experiments. He explained that IBM is offering tools that remove tech roadblocks and help companies move faster with AI projects.

IBM Debuts AI-Powered Global Tax Compliance Solutions

On May 1, 2025, IBM and EY announced new AI-powered tax solutions. They introduced EY.ai for tax, a tool built using IBM’s watsonx platform.

This effort combines IBM’s AI tools with EY’s experience in tax, aiming to help tax teams work faster and deal with complex rules, scattered systems, and limited staff.

The new tools use open-source AI models, including IBM Granite, to help companies manage tax tasks and global data more efficiently. IBM and EY designed the tools to reduce manual work and boost productivity.

The launch includes three new AI-powered solutions:

1. Intelligent Tax Data Lake

This tool pulls together data from many sources to support tax filings. It uses watsonx data, watsonx.ai, and open-source models. IBM uses this tool in its own tax department to gather and check data from 36 sources. It automates tasks that were done by hand and improves data quality.

2. Detect and Correct With Business Documents

This solution uses AI to pull data from invoices and compare it with information in the ERP system. It helps find and fix mistakes before filing. It also lets IBM process more documents automatically than it could before.

3. Withholding Tax Determinations

This tool helps tax professionals figure out the correct withholding tax rate for each transaction. It speeds up a process that happens every month and improves accuracy when reviewing thousands of intercompany transactions.

IBM Data Finds CEOs Are Doubling Down on AI Amidst Enterprise Barriers

The IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed 2,000 CEOs worldwide. Results show that leaders expect AI investment to more than double over the next two years. Right now, 61% say they are already using AI tools and plan to expand them across their companies.

The report also shows that 68% of CEOs see shared data systems as necessary for teams to work together across departments. At the same time, 72% believe their own company data will help bring the most value out of generative AI.

Even so, many companies are still trying to build the right setup. Half of the CEOs say their current tech systems feel disconnected, mostly because of how quickly they’ve added new tools.

IBM Think 2025

IBM’s annual event, Think 2025, will be held from May 5 to May 8, 2025, at Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

This event brings together experts, partners, and clients to share ideas and explore how new tech can support real business goals.

IBM News Today and the Future

IBM continues to push forward in AI, hybrid cloud, and global tech investments. The company shared strong Q1 earnings, launched new AI-powered tax tools, and announced partnerships and platforms that support large-scale AI use.

As IBM builds on these updates, it’s clear the company is focused on growth, smarter tools, and long-term results.

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