IBM is developing a dual-architecture chip to run Arm-native AI apps on Z mainframes and Linux servers
IBM Corp. said today at the annual Hot Chips 2026 conference that it’s developing a groundbreaking new dual-architecture processor in partnership with the British chip design firm Arm Holdings Ltd. that’s destined to power its next-generation IBM Z mainframes and LinuxONE systems.
The new chip, which doesn’t yet have a name, is special because it’s being designed to run both z/OS and Arm-native Linux workloads simultaneously on the same core, marking the first time that has ever been done. In doing so, it will bring Arm’s massive software ecosystem into IBM’s ultra-reliable enterprise computing infrastructure, which still runs the vast majority of financial applications today.
It’s the first concrete development since the two companies announced their strategic partnership in April. Back then, they said they’re going to work together to make it possible for Arm-based workloads to run on IBM’s enterprise hardware using techniques such as virtualization and emulation. The initial goal was to bring “cloud-like flexibility to highly regulated environments,” so enterprises would be able to run artificial intelligence and other data-intensive workloads on sensitive data that’s stored in on-premises systems rather than the cloud.
