The data landscape has fundamentally shifted: Modern applications demand zero-downtime architectures, while regulatory frameworks expect increasingly precise data locality and residency controls. Meanwhile, AI workloads require continuous access to fresh, consistent data that powers applications at scale.
That’s why Cockroach Labs and IBM have forged an OEM partnership to launch CockroachDB PostgreSQL for IBMTM. Now enterprises can confidently modernize their mission-critical applications with a cloud-native PostgreSQL database built for active-active continuity across hybrid environments – from IBM LinuxONE, Linux on Z, Watsonx.ai, and Red Hat OpenShift to major public clouds.
With this new cloud-native data foundation, enterprises can modernize critical systems without sacrificing resilience, compliance, or operational control. Organizations can accelerate application development, maintain strict compliance postures, and deliver always-available experiences, while preserving the architectural flexibility essential for long-term scalability.
Why does the IBM + CockroachDB OEM partnership matter for enterprise architecture?
IBM has established itself as the backbone for mission-critical enterprise workloads, from financial institutions processing trillions in daily transactions to healthcare networks serving millions of patients across distributed locations. These environments demand proven reliability and security, at unprecedented scale.
Db2 for z/OS remains the gold standard for transactional integrity on IBM Z, powering industries where downtime is not an option. But enterprise demands are evolving: Organizations are building containerized applications on Kubernetes, adopting hybrid cloud for flexibility, and preparing for an AI-driven future where resilient, real-time data is essential.
CockroachDB’s consensus-based replication and automatic failover capabilities ensure data consistency even during network partitions or node failures. It’s designed specifically to solve the fundamental challenges of distributed systems:
providing ACID guarantees across geographically distributed nodes
eliminating single points of failure
maintaining PostgreSQL compatibility for developer productivity
Embedding CockroachDB across IBM's platform portfolio forms quite a combo: IBM's battle-tested infrastructure and security framework, paired with a modern distributed SQL database designed for global-scale, cloud-native applications. This OEM agreement extends IBM’s hybrid cloud leadership, supporting both modernization initiatives and next-gen AI-powered applications.
According to Spencer Kimball, Cockroach Labs CEO and co-founder, our OEM partnership with IBM arrives right on time. "The modernization journey can’t wait,” he observed. “Enterprises today face unprecedented pressure to deliver always-on experiences, meet rigorous compliance standards, and unlock real-time data for AI. Through our partnership with IBM, we’re combining CockroachDB’s cloud-native, distributed architecture with the resilience and security of IBM’s enterprise platforms – bringing resilience, scale, and AI-readiness to the environments where they already run their most important systems."
What are the key benefits? Built for operational excellence
Today’s business applications demand improved uptime, compliance, speed, innovation, and efficiency at scale. Enterprises that leverage CockroachDB PostgreSQL for IBM realize these advantages, thanks to:
Modernization without disruption – Extend your core and mainframe workloads into a cloud-native, distributed SQL database. It’s a modernization path that advances your data architecture strategy without re-platforming or downtime.
Security & compliance at each layer – CockroachDB’s ACID guarantees and encryption are reinforced by IBM LinuxONE’s hardware-level protections, including quantum-safe security features. Safeguard your sensitive data and meet strict regulatory requirements with confidence.
Always-on availability – A distributed architecture designed to minimize downtime and data loss, reinforced by IBM’s proven reliability. Businesses benefit from zero RPO and near-zero RTO, even during outages or upgrades.
AI-ready infrastructure – CockroachDB streams real-time transactional data into Watsonx.data and supports pgvector for vector search. This powers retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) applications that keep AI outputs grounded in accurate, up-to-date data.
Hybrid flexibility – You can deploy consistently across LinuxONE, IBM Z (Linux), OpenShift, IBM Cloud, and beyond. Maintain control, while meeting performance needs in any environment.
Performance with efficiency – Now you can optimize workloads for energy-efficient, high-performance operations on LinuxONE: Gain sustainability benefits while driving business agility.
What are the enterprise use cases for IBM and CockroachDB?
Enterprise systems run mission-critical workloads that can't afford downtime, compliance gaps, or performance degradation. When availability and consistency are assured, developers can deliver new features, instead of wrestling with distributed systems complexity.
CockroachDB PostgreSQL for IBM addresses these requirements for high-stakes applications:
Financial services and payments – Handle transactions across regions while meeting compliance requirements.
E-commerce and inventory – Maintain inventory accuracy and order processing availability during traffic spikes.
Identity and access management – Distribute authentication globally while keeping data local and policies centralized.
Metadata and catalog management – Consolidate enterprise metadata in a distributed system that supports governance and analytics.
Legacy modernization – Move mainframe workloads to cloud-native SQL with familiar tooling and flexible scaling.
We’re always looking to activate win/win scenarios at Cockroach Labs. Martin Oberhofer, Vice President and Distinguished Engineer at IBM, explained why this integration is big for everybody.
“Our partnership with Cockroach Labs brings distributed SQL innovation directly into IBM’s hybrid cloud and enterprise platforms,” he said. ”By combining CockroachDB’s cloud-native resilience with IBM’s trusted technologies like LinuxONE and Linux on Z, we’re giving clients a modernization path that feels familiar with PostgreSQL yet is built for the future. Together, we empower enterprises to run mission-critical workloads with security, efficiency, and the scalability demanded by the AI era."
Preparing for AI-driven applications
Data architects’ decisions must account for near-future requirements: shifting compliance rules, unpredictable demand, and AI’s need for live, trusted data.
CockroachDB functions as both a system of record and an enterprise-grade vector database. Integrated with Watsonx.ai, it enables retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) applications where large language models query both transactional data and vector embeddings in real time.
The business impact: AI responses are accurate, context-aware, and aligned with current conditions.
Building the future of enterprise data
IBM and Cockroach Labs form an optimal fit: Together, we’re supporting business-critical applications to head off downtime, meet compliance requirements, and scale across regions. It’s a data dream team that accelerates the modernization journey.
By consolidating fragmented workloads onto CockroachDB PostgreSQL for IBM LinuxONE, enterprises can simplify operations, reduce risk, and modernize with confidence – all without compromising performance, compliance, or control.
Ready to learn more about CockroachDB PostgreSQL for IBM? Discover how we can help modernize your enterprise applications. Chat with one of our experts today.
David Weiss is Senior Technical Content Marketer for Cockroach Labs. In addition to data, his deep content portfolio includes cloud, SaaS, cybersecurity, and crypto/blockchain.
