The Acquisition Playbook -- HashiCorp, Confluent, DataStax, and IBM's Build-vs-Buy Strategy

IBM has spent over $20 billion on strategic acquisitions in 2024-2025 alone, with HashiCorp ($6.4B), Confluent ($11B), DataStax, and Apptio creating a comprehensive enterprise platform. This module analyzes how each acquisition fits into IBM's strategy, what it reveals about where the company is heading, and how candidates can use this knowledge to demonstrate strategic thinking in interviews.