IBM recently announced a $11 billion cash acquisition of data infrastructure company Confluent, aimed at enhancing its capabilities in cloud data management and artificial intelligence (AI). This transaction is one of IBM's largest acquisitions in recent years, marking the company's response to the trend of enterprise digital transformation and AI technology deployment.

According to the announcement, IBM will acquire Confluent's shares at a price of $31 per share, which is approximately 50% higher than the closing price one week before the transaction announcement. Confluent primarily provides a platform that helps businesses manage real-time data streams. With more and more companies developing and deploying AI products, the demand for real-time data stream management has rapidly increased, and Confluent's technology perfectly meets this market demand.

IBM stated that this acquisition will complement its existing data and automation products, further strengthening its competitiveness in areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, data, and consulting services. The company expects the transaction to have a positive impact on EBITDA and free cash flow within two years after completion.

The acquisition is the latest in a series of IBM's merger and acquisition activities over the past few months, reflecting the company's emphasis on the AI trend. Previously, IBM also reached an agreement with AI lab Anthropic to integrate the Claude large language model into some of its products; at the same time, it partnered with AMD to develop new computing architectures that combine quantum systems with AI-specific chips. In addition, IBM acquired data analytics startup Seek AI in June, further expanding its presence in the AI field.

Key points:

🌟 Announced a $11 billion acquisition of Confluent for cloud data management and AI.  

📈 Confluent provides data stream management to meet enterprises' needs for real-time data interaction.  

🤝 This acquisition will complement IBM's existing offerings, and is expected to bring positive financial contributions within two years.