Key Points
- Confluent is a data‑streaming platform founded by the creators of Apache Kafka
- It enables real-time processing of large data flows for AI, analytics, and clouds
- IBM is in advanced negotiations to acquire Confluent.
- The deal, valued at about US$11 billion, could be announced anytime soon.
ISLAMABAD: IBM is reportedly close to acquiring Confluent in a deal worth around US$11 billion, Reuters reported, as the technology giant seeks to enhance its position in cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
The talks are in their final stages, and a formal announcement could be made as soon as Monday, subject to successful negotiations, Reuters reported, on Monday.
Confluent provides the infrastructure that allows organisations to process and analyse continuous, real-time data streams, a core component for AI-driven applications, live analytics, financial transactions, logistics, and cloud-native services. Integrating Confluent’s platform would significantly boost IBM’s enterprise cloud‑AI capabilities.
If completed, the acquisition would mark one of IBM’s largest deals in recent years and reflects the company’s strategic shift toward high-value software and AI-focused solutions, building on its prior investments in cloud and hybrid infrastructure technologies.
