IBM announced a partnership with OpenAI to expand enterprise customers’ access to the company’s models and tools, leveraging its global consulting business. The two companies will market joint artificial intelligence offerings and develop customized solutions for industries including financial services, government, telecommunications, and retail.
The companies did not disclose the financial or commercial terms of the agreement. The partnership comes less than a year after IBM announced a similar alliance with Anthropic, at a time when competition among artificial intelligence model developers for enterprise spending and large-scale deployments is intensifying.
Training Tens of Thousands of Consultants
Under the agreement, IBM will establish a dedicated OpenAI practice within IBM Consulting and will train and certify tens of thousands of consultants over the coming months. Mike Healy, managing partner at IBM Consulting, explained that the training process will focus primarily on reskilling existing employees rather than relying on new hiring.
The training will cover Codex technologies and OpenAI APIs, in addition to cybersecurity fields and consulting solutions certifications. IBM will also establish a group of specialized experts called “Forward Deployed Experts,” who will receive their training through OpenAI’s partner network.
Integrating OpenAI Models into the IBM Platform
IBM said it will integrate OpenAI’s latest models and tools, including GPT-5.6, Codex, and ChatGPT Work, into the IBM Consulting Advantage platform. The platform aims to help IBM consultants support customers in deploying artificial intelligence within core business operations.
The agreement represents an expansion of OpenAI’s strategy for reaching enterprises through consulting firms and technology partners. The company has previously announced partnerships with technology services companies, including Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, as part of an approach that relies on global systems integrators to deliver artificial intelligence products to enterprise customers.
IBM’s Multimodel Strategy
For IBM, the partnership broadens the scope of its partnerships in advanced artificial intelligence, while the company continues to pursue a strategy that is not tied to a single model. This strategy combines IBM’s Granite family with offerings from external developers, while the company is increasingly presenting itself as an entity that integrates multiple models through the watsonx platform and its global consulting business.
The partnership also comes as IBM seeks to accelerate growth in its artificial intelligence business, after it lowered its 2026 revenue forecast last month following quarterly results that came in below expectations. During the company’s most recent earnings call, CEO Arvind Krishna said that artificial intelligence remains a long-term growth driver and that its adoption complements demand for IBM’s core mainframe business rather than replacing it.
Extension of Earlier Cybersecurity Collaboration
In June, IBM and OpenAI entered into a partnership under the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program, which focuses on cybersecurity. The new agreement expands that collaboration by integrating OpenAI models with IBM Autonomous Security, a cybersecurity service powered by multiple agents.