The transformative potential of artificial intelligence is reshaping the enterprise sector, sparking strategic initiatives and innovative approaches.

Central to these advancements are the integration of critical data and the power of open-source collaborations, driving unprecedented levels of technological innovation. IBM Corp. was an early adopter of AI, and now, the company is ready to retake the reins and take control of the current technological boom. It’s eager and prepared to help any partners looking to harness the tech and further imbue IBM’s evolving ecosystem, according to Zeus Kerravala (pictured, right), principal of ZK Research, in an interview during this week’s IBM Think event.

Zeus Kerravala, principal of ZK Research, speaks with theCUBE during IBM Think 2024 about IBM’s evolving ecosystem.

“During Kate’s presentation, she opened it up with the economic opportunity for AI is $4.4 trillion, of which they want the partners to share in that,” Kerravala said. “She gave examples of some partners and some of the things they’re doing. But, ultimately, if IBM is going to reestablish itself as the premier IT vendor — you could argue they’ve lost a little bit of that — it is going to be through the partnerships that they have.”

Kerravala spoke with theCUBE Research executive analyst John Furrier (left) at IBM Think, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed IBM’s expanding ecosystem, issues raised with adopting AI and what makes IBM successful of late. (* Disclosure below.)

IBM’s evolving ecosystem: Solving AI challenges by looking at the future

Although AI is a huge opportunity for most industries, it introduces a lot of complexity into infrastructure which can create a whole batch of challenges.

“During [a] panel, Crawford Del Prete, the CRO of IDC, said 75% of enterprise data loses its value in months and 50% in days,” Kerravala said. “Here’s the challenge for businesses: As they generate so much data across so many different systems, can they find a way to aggregate it and make it useful from an AI perspective?”

IBM’s success can be attributed to its ability to take its ecosystem, including its partners, and make AI consumable and simple, according to Kerravala. As as-a-service models continue to grow strong in demand, AI-as-a-service is a possibility for IBM, both from a public and private, hybrid-cloud perspective.

“I’m not going to say they’re uniquely positioned to deliver, but the companies that can do that are pretty small,” Kerravala said. “For IBM, I think this just comes down to I want to see it in customer wins, and they’re knocking at the door right now.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of IBM Think:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for IBM Think. Neither IBM Corp., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE