IBM announces IBM Sovereign Core. It is a software platform designed to give organizations more direct control over cloud and AI workloads within national and regional borders.
The platform responds to increasing demands for digital sovereignty and compliance, writes SiliconANGLE. With this introduction, IBM is explicitly targeting enterprises, governments, and service providers that want to continue using sensitive data and AI applications while becoming less dependent on external cloud providers.
IBM Sovereign Core is a software layer that enables organizations to implement and manage their workloads under their own operational authority and within a single jurisdiction. According to IBM, there is increasing pressure to demonstrate not only data location, but also operational control and compliance. The company cites Gartner research showing that by 2030, more than 75 percent of organizations will have an explicit strategy for digital sovereignty.
Specific AI regulations
An important reason for the introduction is the growing role of AI. According to IBM, it is no longer sufficient to simply record where data is stored. AI systems run continuously, process sensitive information, and are increasingly subject to specific regulations. Sovereign Core is therefore designed to allow AI models and inference to take place within a defined environment, with monitoring and logging recorded during runtime. IBM’s aim is to support organizations in accountability and governance, especially in sectors where regulation plays a major role, such as government, healthcare, and financial services.
Technically, IBM Sovereign Core builds on open-source technology from the Red Hat ecosystem. The software uses OpenShift, among other things, and is designed to run on existing infrastructure. Organizations can deploy the platform in on-premises data centers, regional cloud environments, or through local service providers. According to IBM, this means that existing investments in infrastructure and operational tooling do not need to be replaced.
According to IBM, the platform differs from existing sovereign cloud offerings in that sovereignty is built into the architecture rather than added as an extra layer. Identity, encryption keys, logging, and telemetry remain within the chosen jurisdiction and under the customer’s control. At the same time, this approach requires a greater operational role for organizations themselves or for local service providers who manage the platform on their behalf.
Focus on Europe
IBM is starting collaborations with European service providers, with Europe as the first focus region. This choice aligns with the rapid development of European data and AI regulations. The supplier expects to eventually make the platform available worldwide and offer it both directly and through partners.
IBM Sovereign Core will be available for technical preview in February. General availability is planned for mid-2026. With this introduction, IBM is positioning itself emphatically in the segment of organizations that want to combine cloud and AI technology with greater control over governance, compliance, and operational responsibility, without abandoning existing IT architectures.