Enterprises can now benefit from AI-powered software development and modernization without having to move sensitive code, data, or workflows out of their controlled infrastructure.

Amherst, New York, October 1st / PRNewswire / -- IBM ( NYSE : IBM ) Today, we announce the launch of self-hosted deployment for IBM Bob, allowing organizations to bring AI software development into their own controlled local, private cloud, sovereign cloud, and isolated network environments. Bob is a proxy-based software development platform designed to help teams go beyond code generation and apply AI to software delivery and modernization efforts.

Enterprises are making significant investments in software development driven by AI, but organizations that manage sensitive source code, regulated data, or critical mission-critical infrastructure often face stringent security and compliance requirements. These requirements can limit their ability to use public AI platforms. For many organizations, especially those in regulated industries, adopting AI requires control over the location of AI operations, the data that can be accessed, and the governance of AI systems.

According to a report from Futurum Research, by 2030, hybrid and edge deployments are expected to account for 44% of the AI infrastructure market. This is because organizations seek sovereign control while also wishing to maintain ecosystem connectivity; meanwhile, the share of public clouds is expected to decline to 46% during the same period.

The self-hosted deployment option of IBM Bob brings AI to the infrastructure that is independently managed by customers, and is specifically designed for organizations that require stronger data residency, security policies, AI governance, and control over software development workflows. Unlike many AI coding and software development tools that require organizations to migrate their data to external services, the self-hosted version of IBM Bob allows enterprises to deploy AI software development and modernization capabilities in the very environment where their code, applications, and data already reside.

IBM AI and Neel Sundaresan, the General Manager of Automation, state: "The future of enterprise AI will depend on security, governance, and sovereignty. Organizations need AI to operate within their controllable environments, especially when dealing with sensitive code and regulated data. The self-hosted deployment of Bob provides enterprises with a way to bring proxy AI directly into these environments, allowing them to benefit from this technology while maintaining security, compliance, and operational control."

The software environments operated by most enterprises contain sensitive data such as intellectual property, proprietary source code, and regulated customer information. According to the report " The Calculus of AI Sovereignty " published in June 2026 by the IBM Business Value Research Institute, 68% of the surveyed executives stated that meeting data residency and sovereignty requirements in different regions is challenging.

Now, the deployment flexibility of IBM Bob can help enterprises meet these requirements, bringing AI closer to the data, rather than having to migrate data for the sake of AI. Enterprises can run supported models locally, including in isolated network environments, using their licensed supported models, or connect Bob to supported external model services through hybrid configurations.

Although many AI development tools are primarily designed for cloud-native environments, enterprise modernization often involves applications and data distributed across local systems, private clouds, and other controlled environments. The deployment flexibility of IBM Bob enables organizations to use AI for software development and modernization across various infrastructure environments and models, helping them to achieve true AI adoption.

For more information on the IBM Bob self-hosting option, please visit: https :// www.ibm.com / new / announcements / ibm-bob-expands-to-self-hosted-environments-for-sensitive-and-mission-critical-enterprise-software

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud, AI, and consulting services. We help customers in over 175 countries and regions to leverage data insights, simplify business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive advantage in their respective industries. Thousands of governments and enterprises rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift in critical infrastructure sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare to drive digital transformation quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM offers breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions, and consulting, providing customers with open and flexible options. All of this is supported by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusiveness, and service.

For more information, please visit www.ibm.com.

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source:

• “Sovereign AI : What Nations Want ( And What They ' ll Actually Get )” Futurum Research, 2026
• “The Calculus of AI Sovereignty” IBM Institute for Business Value , 2026

SOURCE IBM