IBM Data Gate for Confluent: Turning Z data into real-time action
Turning IBM Z data into a continuous, real-time stream at scale to power AI and business growth.
We are excited to introduce IBM Data Gate for Confluent, a new capability that brings IBM Z data to the centre of the modern, real-time data foundation powering enterprise AI.
IBM Z systems continue to run mission-critical transactional workloads for many of the world’s largest organizations, generating a vast and highly valuable stream of data. However, in many enterprises, this data remains locked within Z systems often delivered through batch processes that limit its ability to drive timely insights and intelligent automation.
At the same time, organizations are rapidly moving from AI experimentation to scaled adoption. As part of IBM’s recent acquisition of Confluent, we are advancing our vision of making real-time, trusted, continuously flowing data the foundation for enterprise AI and intelligent applications.
IBM Data Gate for Confluent is designed to address this challenge by bringing IBM Z data into the real-time data fabric that powers modern applications, analytics and AI.
IBM Data Gate for Confluent enables organizations to stream changes from Db2 for z/OS directly into Confluent, transforming traditional transactional data into a continuous stream of real-time events that power use cases such as timely alerts in financial services, instant fraud detection and proactive disruption management in transportation—improving responsiveness and customer experience.
This capability bridges a critical gap in enterprise architectures. Instead of relying on delayed batch extracts or complex custom integrations, organizations can now make their most trusted data available instantly across applications and systems.
Built natively for Confluent, the solution integrates seamlessly into existing streaming environments, providing a standardized and scalable way to connect IBM Z with modern data ecosystems. In doing so, it helps enterprises establish a unified, real-time data foundation—one where applications, APIs, and AI systems can act on data as it is generated.
IBM Data Gate for Confluent is built on a modern, event-driven architecture that enables seamless movement of data from IBM Z into Confluent Platform, Confluent’s self-managed, enterprise-grade deployment option for on-prem and private environments.
At a high level, the solution captures changes from Db2 for z/OS using efficient, log-based data capture, ensuring minimal impact on core transactional workloads. IBM Data Gate is optimized for mainframe efficiency, with up to 96% of its processing eligible for execution on zIIP engines, significantly reducing CPU costs while maintaining high throughput. These changes are then streamed into Confluent Platform through a native integration with Kafka Connect, where they are published as structured event streams.
Data is delivered in standardized event formats, allowing it to be easily consumed by a wide range of downstream systems—including analytics platforms, microservices, and AI applications. By organizing data into event streams, the architecture enables multiple consumers to access the same data in real time without placing additional load on the mainframe.
The solution also supports both initial data snapshotting and continuous change streaming, allowing organizations to onboard existing datasets and keep them continuously synchronized as new data is generated.
By unlocking real-time access to IBM Z data, IBM Data Gate for Confluent enables a new class of business and technology outcomes.
- In financial services, organizations can deliver real-time alerts and insights to customers based on critical account activity, improving responsiveness and engagement.
- In fraud detection, transactions can be analyzed as they occur, enabling immediate identification of suspicious behaviour and faster downstream action.
- In transportation and travel, real-time operational data can help organizations anticipate disruptions, respond proactively, and enhance customer experience.
More broadly, this capability enables the shift to event-driven microservices, where applications react instantly to business events rather than relying on tightly coupled integrations. It also provides a critical data foundation for AI models and agents, ensuring they operate on current, trusted information rather than stale data.
As enterprises scale AI and automation, the ability to access and act on data in real time will define success. With IBM Data Gate for Confluent, IBM Z data is no longer confined to transactional systems—it becomes part of a continuous, real-time data stream that powers intelligent applications and AI-driven decision-making.
This is not just about integration. It is about transforming how enterprises use their most valuable data—turning it into a dynamic, enterprise-wide asset that drives action at the speed of business.
Learn more about the IBM Data Gate for Confluent announcement