IBM has introduced “IBM Bob,” an AI-powered development platform designed to automate the entire software development lifecycle, from planning to deployment.

Unlike traditional coding assistants, Bob integrates across all stages of development, including testing, security and operations, while embedding governance and compliance controls.

“IBM Bob is how enterprises can move at AI speed without sacrificing the governance and security needs their businesses require,” said Dinesh Nirmal, senior vice president of IBM Software.

The platform uses multi-model orchestration, automatically routing tasks to different AI models based on complexity, performance and cost.

IBM said Bob is already being used internally by more than 80,000 employees, with users reporting an average 45 percent productivity gain.

The system also features built-in security tools such as real-time policy enforcement, sensitive data scanning, and audit trails to address risks tied to AI-generated code.

Early adopters have reported significant efficiency gains, including reducing software upgrade timelines from weeks to days and cutting engineering hours.

IBM said the platform is now available globally as a cloud-based service, with on-premises deployment planned for organizations with strict regulatory requirements.