IBM and Microsoft have joined forces to launch a new enterprise artificial intelligence platform designed to help businesses deploy, manage and govern AI agents across their operations. Called Imagine Enterprise, the platform combines IBM Consulting’s library of more than 6,000 pre-built AI agents and related assets with Microsoft’s cloud, artificial intelligence, data and cybersecurity technologies. The companies aim to help organisations move beyond basic AI assistants towards systems that can execute complex, industry-specific business processes.
Announced on November 10, 2026, Imagine Enterprise targets companies operating in industries where security, regulatory compliance and reliable business processes are essential. Its initial industry-specific frameworks cover financial services, insurance and retail. IBM Consulting and Microsoft will also provide engineering support to qualifying customers, helping them integrate AI agents with existing enterprise systems and move projects from experimentation into production. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search3”]}/>
What Is IBM and Microsoft’s Imagine Enterprise Platform?
Imagine Enterprise is an agentic AI platform designed to help organisations build, deploy and govern AI agents that can perform tasks connected to everyday business operations.
Unlike conventional AI chatbots that primarily respond to questions or generate content, agentic AI systems are designed to take action towards defined objectives. Depending on their permissions, they can interact with business applications, retrieve information, coordinate workflows and complete specific tasks.
For example, a financial services company could use AI agents to support document processing, customer-service operations and internal workflows. An insurance company could explore agents for claims-related processes, while retailers could use them to support inventory management and operational planning.
The platform combines IBM’s industry consulting experience with Microsoft’s enterprise technology infrastructure.
IBM brings its AI-powered Consulting Advantage platform and a collection of more than 6,000 AI agents and assets. Microsoft contributes the cloud, AI, data-management and security technologies needed to connect these agents with enterprise systems.
The companies say the goal is to help organisations use their existing infrastructure rather than rebuild their technology environments from scratch. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133news1”]}/>
IBM Brings More Than 6,000 AI Agents and Assets
One of the most significant elements of the announcement is IBM Consulting’s collection of more than 6,000 pre-built AI agents and related assets.
These capabilities have been developed through IBM Consulting Advantage, the company’s AI-powered delivery platform.
The collection includes reusable AI agents, tools and industry-specific assets that businesses can adapt to their requirements.
Instead of developing every AI agent independently, organisations can begin with existing capabilities and customise them for their own workflows.
IBM’s contribution is particularly important for businesses that need AI systems built around specialised industry knowledge.
For example, financial institutions operate under strict regulatory requirements, while insurance companies manage complex policies, customer records and claims processes. Retailers have different operational needs involving inventory, customer experiences and supply chains.
IBM intends to use its consulting expertise to help customers identify where AI agents can deliver measurable business value.
An important distinction is that the 6,000 figure refers to a combined collection of AI agents and related assets, not necessarily 6,000 independent agents that every customer can immediately activate without configuration. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search5”]}/>
Microsoft’s Technology Will Power the AI Platform
Microsoft will provide the technology foundation that allows AI agents to operate across enterprise environments.
The partnership combines several Microsoft products and services, each supporting a different part of the agentic AI ecosystem.
| Microsoft technology | Role in Imagine Enterprise |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Foundry | AI development and deployment infrastructure |
| Microsoft Copilot Studio | Building and coordinating AI agents |
| GitHub Copilot | AI-assisted software development |
| Microsoft Fabric | Enterprise data integration and analytics |
| Microsoft Azure | Cloud computing infrastructure |
| Microsoft Entra | Identity management and access control |
| Microsoft Purview | Data governance and compliance |
| Microsoft Defender | Cybersecurity and threat protection |
These technologies are designed to help organisations connect AI agents with enterprise data, applications and existing business processes.
Microsoft’s identity and security systems are particularly important because AI agents may need permission to access sensitive company information or perform actions within business applications.
For example, an agent handling an insurance workflow may need access to customer records, policy information and internal documentation. Identity management and security controls can help determine what information it is allowed to access and which actions it can perform.
IBM’s Consulting Advantage platform adds capabilities through Process Studio, Context Studio and Advantage Core to support the design, deployment and governance of customised agents. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search4”]}/>
Three Main Benefits of Imagine Enterprise
IBM and Microsoft are positioning Imagine Enterprise around three main advantages.
1. Instant Expertise
Businesses can start with pre-built AI agents and industry-specific assets instead of building every system independently.
The availability of more than 6,000 agents and related assets could reduce the time required to develop enterprise AI applications.
Companies can adapt existing capabilities to their own processes and operational requirements.
2. Fits Existing Enterprise Systems
Many large companies already operate complex technology environments involving databases, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications and internal software.
Replacing these systems to introduce AI could be expensive and disruptive.
Imagine Enterprise is designed to connect with existing business data, applications and processes. This approach could make it easier for companies to introduce AI gradually while retaining their current technology investments.
3. Intelligence Multiplier
The platform aims to combine human expertise with AI agents that can access relevant company information and operational context.
Instead of treating AI as a separate tool, organisations can integrate agents into workflows where employees already work.
This could allow employees to delegate repetitive tasks to AI systems while concentrating on decision-making, customer relationships and more complex responsibilities.
The companies argue that combining industry expertise with AI execution could help organisations move from isolated AI experiments towards broader business transformation. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0”]}/>
Financial Services, Insurance and Retail Are the First Targets
Imagine Enterprise will initially focus on three industries: financial services, insurance and retail.
These sectors have large volumes of structured and unstructured information, complex workflows and significant requirements involving security and compliance.
Financial services: Banks and financial technology companies could explore AI agents for document processing, operational workflows, customer support and internal information management.
Insurance: Insurers could use specialised agents to support policy-related operations, claims processing and information retrieval, subject to appropriate human oversight and regulatory controls.
Retail: Retail businesses could investigate applications involving inventory, customer operations, supply-chain processes and business analytics.
IBM and Microsoft have also identified manufacturing, energy, the public sector and mobility as potential areas for future expansion.
However, these additional industries are part of the platform’s longer-term direction rather than confirmed initial deployments. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search3”]}/>
SEI Becomes an Early Enterprise Example
The announcement also highlighted SEI, a global provider of financial technology, operations and asset-management services.
SEI is exploring emerging and agentic AI technologies with IBM Consulting and Microsoft as part of its enterprise transformation efforts.
The company wants to investigate how these capabilities could improve internal operations and the experiences it provides to employees and customers.
SEI’s involvement provides an example of how the platform could be applied in a regulated financial services environment.
As of September 30, 2026, SEI managed, advised or administered approximately $2 trillion in assets, according to the companies’ announcement.
However, the collaboration is described as an exploration of emerging capabilities. It should not be interpreted as evidence that SEI has already deployed all 6,000 AI agents or automated its entire business through Imagine Enterprise. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search4”]}/>
How Businesses Can Access Imagine Enterprise
Imagine Enterprise will be available through several engagement models.
Companies can work with IBM Consulting to deploy and operate the platform on their behalf. They can also collaborate with IBM Consulting on enterprise-scale implementations or use self-management options.
For qualifying engagements, forward-deployed engineers from IBM and Microsoft will support customers during implementation.
This approach is intended to address a major challenge in enterprise AI adoption: moving from successful demonstrations to reliable systems operating inside real business environments.
Building an AI agent is only one part of the process. Organisations must also connect it to company data, establish permissions, monitor its actions, evaluate performance and ensure that it follows internal policies.
The involvement of engineers from both companies is designed to help customers address these implementation challenges. <Cite refs={[“turn221133search0″,”turn221133search3”]}/>
The Bigger Picture
The IBM-Microsoft partnership highlights how competition in enterprise AI is shifting from developing individual AI assistants towards building complete platforms that can coordinate multiple agents across business operations. Companies increasingly want AI systems that can interact with existing applications, understand industry-specific information and complete tasks under controlled permissions. IBM brings consulting expertise and pre-built assets, while Microsoft contributes the cloud, data and security infrastructure required to support these deployments.
However, the success of agentic AI will depend on more than the number of agents available. Businesses must demonstrate that these systems can operate reliably, protect sensitive information and deliver measurable improvements without creating additional operational risks. Imagine Enterprise gives IBM and Microsoft a combined offering for this emerging market, but widespread adoption will depend on implementation costs, security, governance and the ability to produce tangible business results.
Looking Ahead
IBM and Microsoft will initially concentrate on financial services, insurance and retail as they work with customers to deploy Imagine Enterprise. The companies may expand the platform’s industry-specific frameworks into manufacturing, energy, public services and mobility as additional business requirements emerge. Early customer engagements, including SEI’s exploration of agentic AI, will provide an indication of how organisations approach the transition from experimentation to production.
The larger question is whether businesses will trust AI agents with increasingly important operational responsibilities. As companies introduce systems capable of accessing enterprise data and executing workflows, governance, identity management and human oversight will become critical. IBM and Microsoft are betting that combining thousands of pre-built AI assets with enterprise-grade infrastructure and consulting support will help accelerate the next phase of business AI adoption.
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