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IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud is IBM's cloud computing platform, ranking #41 among cloud platforms in developer surveys at roughly 1.2% usage share. It's most common in large enterprises that already run IBM infrastructure — mainframes, Db2 databases, or existing IBM software licensing — and it's known for its hybrid-cloud tooling (bridging on-prem and cloud) plus the Watson family of AI/ML services. It's a fully managed, proprietary platform.

Quick facts
Type: Cloud computing platform (IaaS/PaaS)
Made by: IBM
License: Proprietary / managed-cloud
Platforms/Hosting: Fully managed, with hybrid-cloud and on-prem integration options
Primary use case: Enterprise workloads, hybrid-cloud deployments, and Watson AI/ML services, often alongside existing IBM systems

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Example

The ibmcloud CLI manages resources like Kubernetes clusters directly from your terminal, once logged in.

# log in to your IBM Cloud account
ibmcloud login --sso

# list your Kubernetes Service clusters
ibmcloud cs cluster ls

# target a resource group and region before deploying
ibmcloud target -g my-resource-group -r us-south

Getting started

Install the IBM Cloud CLI, then log in with your IBMid to start managing resources.

# install the CLI (Linux/macOS)
curl -fsSL https://clis.cloud.ibm.com/install/linux | sh

# log in (opens browser SSO flow)
ibmcloud login --sso

Best for: Enterprises with existing IBM infrastructure investments (mainframes, Db2, WebSphere) that need cloud services to integrate cleanly with what they already run, or teams specifically wanting Watson's AI/ML tooling.