IBM partners with OpenAI to bolster enterprise AI push

IBM has announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate the AI company's models and tools for enterprise customers. This collaboration will allow IBM Consulting to offer OpenAI's solutions to large corporations, intensifying competition for corporate AI spending. The agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed, follows a similar alliance IBM made with Anthropic last year. IBM and OpenAI will jointly market AI offerings and develop industry-specific solutions for sectors like financial services, government, telecommunications, and retail.

As part of the partnership, IBM Consulting will establish a dedicated practice for OpenAI, training tens of thousands of consultants on OpenAI's technologies, including Codex, API, cybersecurity, and consultative solutions. IBM will also create specialized 'Forward Deployed Experts' through OpenAI's Partner Network. OpenAI's latest models, such as GPT-5.6, Codex, and ChatGPT Work, will be integrated into IBM Consulting Advantage, IBM's AI platform for consultants, to assist clients in deploying AI across their business operations.

This partnership is part of OpenAI's strategy to expand its enterprise business through consulting firms and technology partners. IBM aims to enhance its AI offerings by integrating third-party models, including OpenAI's, with its own Granite AI models and watsonx platform. This move comes as IBM seeks to accelerate growth in its AI business, following a recent downward revision of its 2026 revenue forecast. The collaboration also builds on a previous partnership between IBM and OpenAI for a cybersecurity program, expanding the integration of OpenAI's AI models with IBM's Autonomous Security service.