IBM CEO Arvind Krishna speaks at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, on March 11, 2025.IBM announced Monday that it is acquiring data streaming platform Confluent in a deal worth $11 billion.Shares of Confluent soared 26$31 per share in cash for all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Confluent, according to a release. The transaction is expected to close by the middle of 2026."With the acquisition of Confluent, IBM will provide the smart data p ...