Core Insights - IBM z17 is designed to redefine AI at scale, enabling enterprises to process 100% of their transactions in real-time and handle 50% more AI inference operations per day compared to its predecessor, z16 [1][12] - The system supports over 250 AI use cases across various industries, enhancing business value through applications like loan risk mitigation and medical image analysis [1][2] Product Development - The IBM z17 is the result of five years of design and development, with over 300 patent applications filed and input from more than 100 clients [2] - It introduces multi-model AI capabilities, enhanced security features, and tools for improved system usability and management [2][3] AI Integration - The z17 integrates AI into the core of enterprise operations, providing the necessary software, processing power, and storage to operationalize AI quickly [3] - It features a second-generation on-chip AI accelerator, capable of performing over 450 billion inferencing operations daily with a response time of one millisecond [4][12] Future Enhancements - The IBM Spyre™ Accelerator, expected in Q4 2025, will further enhance AI compute capabilities, particularly for generative AI applications [4][6] - z/OS 3.2, the next version of IBM's operating system, will support hardware-accelerated AI capabilities and modern data access methods, set to release in Q3 2025 [5] Operational Efficiency - IBM Z Operations Unite will streamline operations by consolidating performance metrics and logs, enhancing anomaly detection and incident resolution [5] - The integration of AI assistants and agents aims to improve developer and IT operations efficiency [4][6] Security Features - IBM z17 enhances security and resiliency, incorporating AI-driven processes for incident remediation and case resolution [7][11] - New capabilities for discovering and classifying sensitive data will utilize natural language processing to protect mission-critical data [11] Storage Solutions - The 10th Generation IBM Storage DS8000 is designed to work seamlessly with IBM z17, providing optimized data performance and modular architecture for business growth [8] Availability - IBM z17 is set to be generally available on June 18, 2025, with the IBM Spyre™ Accelerator expected in Q4 2025 [9]

Core Insights - Dell Technologies is increasingly positioning itself as an AI business, focusing on revenue generation from building data centers [1] Company Summary - The company is experiencing growth in its AI-related revenue streams, indicating a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence [1] Industry Summary - The trend of companies investing in AI and data center infrastructure is becoming more prevalent, reflecting a broader industry movement towards digital transformation and AI integration [1]

Core Viewpoint - Dell's stock has underperformed since November due to market concerns about a slowdown in AI data center construction, but the company is positioned to benefit from the shift towards inference computing, suggesting potential upside for its stock price [1][10]. Group 1: Market Concerns and Opportunities - The market is worried about the efficiency of AI chips leading to a slowdown in GPU demand, which could impact sales growth expectations for companies like Dell [1]. - Despite concerns, key factors are shifting favorably for Dell, particularly in the inference computing space, which is expected to perform well [1][10]. - The transition from pre-training to inference computing is anticipated to happen faster than expected, with more cost-effective data centers supporting AI inference [3][10]. Group 2: Strategic Partnerships - Dell has partnered with AMD to integrate Ryzen AI PRO processors into new Dell Pro devices, marking a significant milestone in their strategic collaboration [4]. - AMD's CEO highlighted that the total cost of ownership (TCO) for AMD's inference computing solutions is significantly lower than Nvidia's, which could benefit Dell in both PC and server markets [4][9]. Group 3: Financial Performance Expectations - Dell is expected to report solid earnings and revenue growth in its upcoming Q4 financial results, with analysts predicting a 14.46% year-over-year increase in earnings per share (EPS) to $2.52 [5]. - Revenue forecasts for Q4 are set at $24.57 billion, indicating a 10.09% year-over-year growth, with a consensus among analysts on the earnings estimates [5][6]. Group 4: Valuation Metrics - Dell's non-GAAP expected price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 14.50, significantly lower than the industry median of 23.87, indicating a 39.26% discount [9]. - The expected price-to-sales (P/S) ratio for Dell is 0.83, which is 73.43% lower than the industry median of 3.11, suggesting strong valuation metrics [9]. Group 5: Future Growth Catalysts - Dell is projected to benefit from a $5 billion deal with Elon Musk's xAI and an anticipated $4 billion increase in AI server shipments from FY 2024 to FY 2025 [8][9]. - The shift towards inference computing is expected to catalyze Dell's next growth phase, supported by recent strategic agreements [11].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q3 was $24.4 billion, up 10% year-over-year, driven by strong ISG revenue growth [8][18] - Diluted EPS increased by 14% to $2.15, with cash flow from operations at $1.6 billion [8][20] - Gross margin was $5.4 billion, or 22.3% of revenue, down 140 basis points due to an increase in AI optimized server mix and competitive pricing [18][19] - Operating income rose by 12% to $2.2 billion, representing 9% of revenue [19][20] - Net income increased by 11% to $1.5 billion [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - ISG revenue was $11.4 billion, up 34%, with servers and networking revenue up 58% [20] - Storage revenue increased by 4% to $4 billion, with strong demand in PowerStore and PowerFlex [20][21] - CSG revenue decreased by 1% to $12.1 billion, with commercial revenue up 3% and consumer revenue down 18% [22] - CSG operating income was $694 million, or 5.7% of revenue, reflecting a competitive pricing environment [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Orders demand reached a record $3.6 billion, up 11% sequentially, primarily from Tier 2 cloud service providers [9] - AI server shipments totaled $2.9 billion in Q3, with an AI server backlog of $4.5 billion [9][20] - The 5-quarter pipeline grew more than 50% sequentially, indicating strong demand across all customer types [9][20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on AI and traditional servers, with expectations for continued strength in the server business [27][29] - There is an emphasis on modernization and consolidation in data centers to support AI infrastructure [13][122] - The company aims to balance growth and profitability while managing pricing within a competitive landscape [30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the upcoming PC refresh cycle and the potential for AI demand to drive growth [15][29] - The IT spending environment is dynamic, with certain areas experiencing faster growth than others [26] - Management anticipates that the enterprise refresh cycle will contribute to growth in both ISG and CSG [29][30] Other Important Information - Cash flow from operations was $1.6 billion, with a cash conversion cycle of negative 38 days [24] - The company ended the quarter with $6.6 billion in cash and investments, up $600 million sequentially [25] - The company has returned $9.8 billion to shareholders through stock repurchases and dividends since the start of FY 2023 [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: ISG margins performance - Management noted that ISG revenue grew 34% year-over-year, with operating income up 41%, driven by higher revenue and lower operating expenses [36][39] Question: Changes in annual guidance - Management explained that the PC refresh cycle is moving out, impacting guidance, along with unpredictability in AI shipments [42][45] Question: AI server dynamics and backlog - Management confirmed that the AI pipeline grew significantly, with a shift towards Blackwell design impacting Q4 shipments [48][52] Question: Federal spending impact - Management indicated strong demand in the federal vertical, with opportunities for growth in traditional servers and storage [55][58] Question: Untapped storage and services opportunity - Management highlighted the potential for expanding storage and services beyond individual AI nodes into full rack scale integration [62][63] Question: AI revenue expectations for Q4 - Management expects AI revenues to be somewhat down sequentially in Q4 due to the mix of products and component availability [69][73] Question: Customer concentration in AI backlog - Management reported that over 2,000 enterprise customers have been engaged, with a growing portion of the pipeline coming from enterprise customers [90][92] Question: Storage growth expectations for FY 2026 - Management anticipates growth in the storage marketplace, driven by new solutions and capabilities [84][85]