IBM's Mainframes Get a Real-Time AI Makeover
IBM’s mainframe unit posted its best Q4 in over 20 years, with the z17 AI-accelerated system delivering real-time inferences (up to 450 billion per day, ~1 ms latency) and driving a 61% YoY revenue gain; IBM is also marketing Spyre accelerators and foresees enterprise AI workloads shifting toward private data centers or clouds, underpinning a forecast of at least 5% total revenue growth in 2026 and stronger free cash flow as mainframes remain a core pillar of its AI strategy.