IBM and Arm are partnering to stop mainframes being left out of the AI era

image via TNW | The heart of techThe Next Web

April 6, 2026, 12:57 PM

• •IBM and Arm are collaborating to enable Arm-based software on IBM Z and LinuxONE mainframes.
• •The partnership targets virtualisation, security, and long-term ecosystem interoperability.
• •The goal is to bring the Arm-native AI software stack closer to enterprise data.
• •The collaboration addresses IBM Z's need to remain relevant in the AI era.

IBM and Arm announced a strategic collaboration on April 2, 2026, to enable Arm-based software to run on IBM Z and LinuxONE mainframes, aiming to bridge the gap between AI software and enterprise hardware. The partnership focuses on virtualisation, security and compliance, and ecosystem interoperability to bring the Arm-native AI software stack closer to enterprise data. This collaboration addresses IBM Z's strategic vulnerability by integrating it into the Arm software ecosystem, ensuring it remains relevant in the AI era. Though specific details are yet to be released, the collaboration signals a significant step towards enabling AI workloads on IBM Z and LinuxONE.

Read original article