IBM is doubling down on SaaS amid explosive growth projections. The company predicts global end-user spending on SaaS will surge to nearly $300 billion by 2025, according to Gartner.
The trend highlights a critical need for agile solutions. IBM is ramping up its SaaS offerings, fueled by strategic acquisitions like Apptio and HashiCorp. These moves enhance their hybrid cloud capabilities and integrate AI-driven functionalities.
The partner ecosystem is booming. HashiCorp’s tech bolsters infrastructure automation, giving IBM’s partners bigger opportunities to sell hybrid solutions without disruption. A newly introduced bonus program for partners further accelerates SaaS deployments and client adoptions. 
"The appetite we’re seeing from partners for HashiCorp’s offerings further demonstrates the acceleration of the SaaS model, which is instrumental in driving enterprise innovation."
— David La Rose, GM, IBM Ecosystem
Examples of success are already emerging. Partners like SAP are using SaaS to deliver AI insights and cut costs, while Rocket Software is leveraging IBM’s watsonx solutions to boost generative AI productivity.
Looking ahead, generative AI is set to drive the creation of over one billion cloud-native applications by 2028. IBM’s focus on vertical AI solutions and strong governance ensures their SaaS offerings are prepared for this demand.
The future is clear: IBM is leading the way in combining SaaS and AI to reshape enterprise technology.
