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Iridium Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results

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3 months ago

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Provides update on strategic initiatives; Pending acquisition by Rocket Lab expected to close in mid-2027

MCLEAN, Va., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) (“Iridium” or the “Company”), a leading provider of global voice, data, and PNT satellite services, today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2026.

Pending Transaction with Rocket Lab

On June 28, 2026, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Rocket Lab Corporation under which Rocket Lab will acquire the Company. The transaction is expected to be completed in mid-2027, subject to approval by Iridium stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

In light of the pending transaction, the Company does not intend to hold conference calls to discuss its quarterly financial results or to update or provide financial guidance.

Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results 

Iridium reported second quarter total revenue of $225.2 million, a 4% increase versus the comparable period of 2025. Service revenue, which primarily represents recurring revenue from Iridium’s growing subscriber base, grew 4% from the year-ago period and was 72% of total revenue for the second quarter of 2026.

“Iridium’s global network and expanding service portfolio continues to be the gold standard for mission critical applications,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “We believe vertically integrating with Rocket Lab’s industry leading launch and satellite capabilities will allow the combined company to realize even greater ambitions to solve important connectivity challenges around the world.”

Income from Operations

Net income was $9.7 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2026, as compared to net income of $22.0 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025. The decrease was primarily the result of increases in transaction costs. Operational EBITDA (“OEBITDA”)(1) for the second quarter of 2026 was $119.1 million, as compared to $121.3 million for the prior-year period. The year-over-year OEBITDA was lower due primarily to a $3.9 million increase in accrued expenses related to a change in practice to pay annual incentive compensation entirely in cash rather than a mix of equity and cash, which the Company previewed in prior quarters.

Subscribers

The Company ended the second quarter with 2,627,000 total billable subscribers, up from 2,483,000 for the year-ago period and 2,555,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Total billable subscribers grew 6% year-over-year, led by growth in commercial IoT.

Business Highlights

Service – Commercial

Commercial service remained the largest part of Iridium’s business, representing 59% of the Company’s total revenue during the second quarter. Commercial service revenue was $133.7 million, up 4% from the comparable period last year. Commercial IoT data revenue increased $2.3 million, or 5%, in the latest period, driven by a 9% increase in billable subscribers. Hosted payload and other data service revenue increased $2.0 million, or 14%, primarily due to increases in other data services contracts. Commercial voice and data revenue increased $1.6 million, or 3%, primarily due to higher average monthly revenue per unit (“ARPU”) related to price actions implemented in the prior year. The increases in commercial services were partially offset by a decrease in commercial broadband revenue.

Service – U.S. Government

Government service revenue grew 3% to $27.6 million in the second quarter, reflecting contractual rate increases in the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services contract (the “EMSS Contract”) over the prior year. The U.S. government continues to be Iridium’s largest single customer, representing 17% of service revenue and nearly all of engineering services and support business.

Iridium continues to expect a renewal of its EMSS Contract with the U.S. Space Force by March 2027.

Equipment

Equipment revenue was $20.8 million in the second quarter, up 7% compared to $19.5 million in the prior-year quarter.

Engineering & Support

Engineering and support revenue was $43.1 million during the second quarter, up 3% compared to $41.9 million in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to increasing activity with the U.S. government.

Strategic Growth Initiatives

In February 2026, Iridium announced four strategic initiatives that are driving new activity with business partners and designed to drive revenue growth and business expansion into new industries and applications. The Company remains focused on investing in and expanding its presence through the following initiatives:

Satellite IoT. Iridium continues to make progress on both proprietary and standards-based products and services to expand its IoT offering with key target markets. The introduction of the Iridium 9604, a new tri-mode module launched on June 23, 2026, combines Iridium Short Burst Data® (SBD®) satellite connectivity, LTE-M cellular, and GNSS positioning in a power efficient, small form factor module. The integrated architecture provides operational and economic benefits that are engineered to simplify device design, reduce costs, and allow the Iridium 9604 to serve as a next-generation platform for satellite IoT services.

Iridium will also introduce its new standards-based service, Iridium NTN Direct, later this year. Live over-the-air demonstrations with mobile network operators, semiconductor companies, and existing business partners are underway to extend the reach of terrestrial services with satellite connectivity. These standardized services will provide direct-to-device (D2D) capabilities and support low-cost IoT applications, where reliability and coverage are critical, and even for connecting consumer devices from space.

Assured PNT. The recent announcement of the commercial availability of Iridium’s new PNT ASIC, expands the potential applications and addressable market for Iridium’s global PNT services. Designed to help protect GPS- and GNSS-dependent devices from growth jamming, spoofing, and other threats, Iridium PNT is used by commercial, civil, and government enterprises to ensure resilience for critical infrastructure, communications, and transportation.

National Security Missions. Iridium continues to build off its successful history of providing mission critical communications under the EMSS program to develop and deploy efficient and resilient operations supporting the U.S. Space Force. Leveraging its ongoing work developing ground systems and managing the operations centers for the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), Iridium is positioned to expand its strategic relationship with the U.S. government. As new requirements and demand for systems take shape, additional opportunities to leverage Iridium’s expertise and capabilities for other national security initiatives continue to emerge.

Aviation Safety. Iridium’s leadership position in aviation safety advanced further with the Company’s acquisition of Aireon LLC, the world’s only space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) air traffic surveillance system, on July 2, 2026. This acquisition of Aireon accelerates Iridium’s growth into services for airlines and air navigation service providers, while adding valuable commercial data services capabilities and incremental revenue streams.

Iridium is actively developing new products that leverage Aireon’s existing satellite-based aviation safety surveillance services and global high-fidelity data set to deliver greater value to the entire aviation industry. This acquisition is expected to result in at least an additional consolidated $100 million of service revenue and $30 million of OEBITDA on an annualized basis.

Capital Allocation

Capital expenditures were $21.8 million for the second quarter, including $1.6 million in capitalized interest. The Company ended the second quarter with gross Term Loan debt of $1.8 billion, and a cash and cash equivalents balance of $184.2 million, for a net debt balance of $1.6 billion. The Company ended the second quarter with net leverage of 3.3 times trailing twelve months OEBITDA.

Subsequent to the end of the second quarter, Iridium closed on its acquisition of Aireon LLC. The aggregate purchase price payable was approximately $366.7 million, of which 50% was paid in cash at the closing of the acquisition and the remaining 50% was deferred in the form of a $183.4 million loan from the sellers, bearing no interest, maturing one year following the closing. The Company drew down $100 million on its Revolving Facility as a source of cash paid at the closing. Additionally, Iridium assumed Aireon’s existing credit facility with an aggregate principal balance of $154.7 million, with a scheduled maturity date of October 10, 2028.

Iridium paid its second quarter dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock on June 30, 2026, resulting in a total payment of $16.2 million to stockholders.

(1) Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Definitions

In addition to disclosing financial results that are determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company reports OEBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as a supplemental measure to help investors evaluate the Company’s fundamental operational performance. OEBITDA represents earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, gain (loss) on equity method investments, transaction related expenses, and share-based compensation expenses. The Company considers the loss on early extinguishment of debt to be financing-related costs associated with interest expense or amortization of financing fees, which by definition are excluded from OEBITDA. Management believes such charges are incidental to, but not reflective of, the Company’s day-to-day operating performance. OEBITDA does not represent, and should not be considered, an alternative to U.S. GAAP measurements such as net income or loss. In addition, there is no standardized measurement of OEBITDA, and the Company’s calculations thereof may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The Company believes OEBITDA is a useful measure across time in evaluating its fundamental core operating performance. Management also uses OEBITDA to manage the business, including in preparing its annual operating budget, debt covenant compliance, financial projections and compensation plans. The Company believes that OEBITDA is also useful to investors because similar measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in their evaluation of companies in similar industries. As indicated, OEBITDA does not include interest expense on borrowed money, the payment of income taxes, amortization of the Company’s definite-lived intangible assets, or depreciation expense on the Company’s capital assets, which are necessary elements of the Company’s operations. Since OEBITDA does not account for these and other expenses, its utility as a measure of the Company’s operating performance has material limitations. Due to these limitations, the Company’s management does not view OEBITDA in isolation, but also uses other measurements, such as net income, revenues and operating profit, to measure operating performance. Please refer to the schedule below for a reconciliation of consolidated GAAP net income to OEBITDA and Iridium’s Investor Relations webpage at www.iridium.com for a discussion and reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP financial measures.

Iridium Communications Inc.

Supplemental Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Operational EBITDA

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

GAAP net income

$           9,679

$         21,968

$         31,273

$         52,380

Interest expense, net

19,246

22,752

38,612

44,576

Income tax expense

3,125

3,807

11,952

9,626

Depreciation and amortization

53,863

52,837

107,604

104,504

Share-based compensation

17,359

19,089

28,741

30,837

Transaction related expenses(1)

14,325

—

15,024

—

Loss on equity method investments

1,510

860

2,242

1,508

Operational EBITDA

$       119,107

$       121,313

$       235,448

$       243,431

(1)

Represents direct costs incurred in connection with the evaluation, negotiation, consummation, financing and integration of strategic transactions, including, acquisitions, divestitures and investments, whether or not actually completed. These costs generally include legal and advisory fees, severance and other related costs.

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world’s only truly global mobile satellite network. It serves as a platform for innovation, enabling voice, data, and messaging, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and aircraft surveillance services anywhere on Earth. Through its satellite constellation and integrated capabilities like Aireon, the world’s only space-based air traffic surveillance system, Iridium delivers services that support safety-focused operations across aviation, maritime, government, industrial, and consumer markets. The Company is a leader in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and is advancing direct-to-device (D2D) communications based on open standards to expand access to satellite services.

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium innovates through an ecosystem of more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.iridium.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Iridium has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding Iridium’s strategy and growth opportunities; expectations with respect to revenue growth, subscribers, and OEBITDA; Iridium’s acquisition by Rocket Lab and the benefits and expected timing thereof; the anticipated timing of Iridium NTN Direct; and Iridium’s future performance against its four strategic growth initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “anticipates,” “may,” “can,” “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “likely,” “will,” “to be” and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding customer demand for Iridium’s products and services, including demand from the U.S. government; Iridium’s ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation; the development of and market for Iridium’s products and services; increased competition; risks related to Iridium’s pending acquisition by Rocket Lab, including potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against Rocket Lab, Iridium or their respective directors, managers, or officers, including the effects of any outcomes related thereto, the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm Rocket Lab’s or Iridium’s businesses, including current plans and operations, or will otherwise divert management time from ongoing business operations on transaction-related issues, potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction, fluctuations in, and uncertainty as to the long-term value of, Rocket Lab or Iridium common stock (including as relating to the risk that any announcements related to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of such stock), restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction that may impact Iridium’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions, and unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; and Iridium’s recent acquisition of Aireon; changes in trade policy, including tariff rates, as well as general industry and economic conditions; and legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 12, 2026, and the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on July 22, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium’s expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium’s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium’s forward-looking statements are based on information available to it as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.

Iridium Communications Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

Revenue

Service revenue

Commercial

$          133,703

$          128,820

Government

27,625

26,750

Total service revenue

161,328

155,570

Subscriber equipment

20,767

19,455

Engineering and support service

43,142

41,881

Total revenue

225,237

216,906

Operating expenses

Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

51,314

53,603

Cost of subscriber equipment sales

13,478

11,302

Research and development

5,530

4,279

Selling, general and administrative

67,044

44,627

Depreciation and amortization

53,863

52,837

Total operating expenses

191,229

166,648

Operating income

34,008

50,258

Other expense, net

Interest expense, net

(19,246)

(22,752)

Other income, net

(448)

(871)

Total other expense, net

(19,694)

(23,623)

Income before income taxes and loss on equity method investments

14,314

26,635

Income tax expense

(3,125)

(3,807)

Loss on equity method investments

(1,510)

(860)

Net income

$              9,679

$            21,968

Operational EBITDA

$          119,107

$          121,313

 

Iridium Communications Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands)

Six Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

Revenue

Service revenue

Commercial

$          264,107

$          256,362

Government

55,250

53,500

Total service revenue

319,357

309,862

Subscriber equipment

40,986

42,576

Engineering and support service

83,951

79,346

Total revenue

444,294

431,784

Operating expenses

Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

100,950

102,389

Cost of subscriber equipment sales

26,492

24,169

Research and development

11,704

9,696

Selling, general and administrative

112,823

80,380

Depreciation and amortization

107,604

104,504

Total operating expenses

359,573

321,138

Operating income

84,721

110,646

Other expense, net

Interest expense, net

(38,612)

(44,576)

Other expense, net

(642)

(2,556)

Total other expense, net

(39,254)

(47,132)

Income before income taxes and loss on equity method investments

45,467

63,514

Income tax expense

(11,952)

(9,626)

Loss on equity method investments

(2,242)

(1,508)

Net income

$            31,273

$            52,380

Operational EBITDA

$          235,448

$          243,431

 

Iridium Communications Inc.

Summary Revenue and OEBITDA Highlights

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

% Change

2026

2025

% Change

Revenue

Service revenue(1)

Commercial service revenue

Voice and data

$       58,387

$      56,810

3 %

$   115,820

$  112,752

3 %

IoT data(2)

47,071

44,741

5 %

93,037

88,596

5 %

Broadband(3)

11,674

12,724

(8) %

23,896

25,600

(7) %

Hosted payload and other data service(4)

16,571

14,545

14 %

31,354

29,414

7 %

Total commercial service revenue

133,703

128,820

4 %

264,107

256,362

3 %

Government service revenue(5)

27,625

26,750

3 %

55,250

53,500

3 %

Total service revenue

161,328

155,570

4 %

319,357

309,862

3 %

Subscriber equipment

20,767

19,455

7 %

40,986

42,576

(4) %

Engineering and support(6)

Commercial

1,689

2,404

(30) %

3,032

4,041

(25) %

Government

41,453

39,477

5 %

80,919

75,305

7 %

Total engineering and support

43,142

41,881

3 %

83,951

79,346

6 %

Total revenue

$     225,237

$    216,906

4 %

$   444,294

$  431,784

3 %

Operational EBITDA

Operational EBITDA

$     119,107

$    121,313

(2) %

$   235,448

$  243,431

(3) %

Other

Capital expenditures(7)

$       21,836

$      20,710

$     51,791

$    45,256

Net debt(8)

$  1,590,507

$ 1,745,412

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities

$     184,214

$      79,309

Revolving Credit Facility

$              —

$      50,000

Term Loan, gross

$  1,774,721

$ 1,774,721

Deferred financing costs

(12,847)

(15,552)

Term Loan, net

$  1,761,874

$ 1,759,169

(1)

Service revenue consists primarily of subscription-based services which often generate a long-term recurring revenue stream from subscribers.

(2)

IoT data service provides a two-way short burst data transmission between Iridium’s network and a telemetry unit, which may be located, for example, on a container in transit or a buoy monitoring oceanographic conditions.

(3)

Broadband is comprised of Iridium OpenPort® and Iridium Certus®.

(4)

Hosted payload and other services consist primarily of services that do not have traditional billable subscribers. Hosted payload services consist of hosting and data services to our payload customers, Aireon LLC and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. We acquired Aireon LLC on July 2, 2026. Other services include primarily Iridium’s position, navigation and timing service.

(5)

Government service revenue consists of voice and IoT data subscription-based services provided to agencies of the U.S. government through prime contracts.

(6)

Engineering and support includes engineering services for the Space Development Agency contract and to assist commercial customers in developing new technologies for use on Iridium’s satellite system, as well as maintenance services to the U.S. government’s dedicated gateway.

(7)

Capital expenditures based on cash spent in the respective period.

(8)

Net debt is calculated by taking the gross Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility amounts, less cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

 

Iridium Communications Inc.

Subscriber Highlights

(In thousands, except ARPU)

As of June 30,

2026

2025

% Change

Billable Subscribers (1) (2)

Commercial

Voice and data, IoT data and Broadband service

Voice and data

402

415

(3) %

IoT data

2,091

1,924

9 %

Broadband (3)

16.0

16.3

(2) %

Total commercial voice and data, IoT data
     and Broadband service

2,509

2,355

7 %

Government

Voice and data and IoT data service

Voice and data

42

49

(14) %

IoT data

76

79

(4) %

Total government voice and data and IoT
     data service

118

128

(8) %

Total billable subscribers

2,627

2,483

6 %

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

Net Billable Subscriber Additions

Commercial

Voice and data. IoT data and Broadband service

Voice and data

3

6

—

—

IoT data

72

39

93

37

Broadband

(0.1)

—

(0.1)

(0.3)

Total commercial voice and data, IoT data
     and Broadband service

75

45

93

37

Government

Voice and data and IoT data service

Voice and data

(1)

(5)

(1)

(13)

IoT data

(2)

—

(2)

—

Total government voice and data and IoT
     data service

(3)

(5)

(3)

(13)

Total net billable subscriber additions

72

40

90

24

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2026

2025

% Change

2026

2025

% Change

 ARPU (2) (4)

Commercial

Voice and data

$          49

$          46

7 %

$          48

$          45

7 %

IoT data

$       7.64

$       7.83

(2) %

$       7.58

$       7.75

(2) %

Broadband

$        243

$        260

(7) %

$        248

$        260

(5) %

(1)

Subscribers as of the end of the respective period.

(2)

Billable subscriber and average monthly revenue per unit (“ARPU”) data is not applicable for hosted payload and other data service revenue items and is excluded from presentation above.

(3)

Broadband is comprised of Iridium OpenPort and Iridium Certus.

(4)

ARPU is calculated by dividing revenue in the respective period by the average of the number of billable subscribers at the beginning of the period and the number of billable subscribers at the end of the period and then dividing the result by the number of months in the period.

 

Investor Contact: 

Press Contact:

Kenneth Levy

Jordan Hassin

Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium Communications Inc.

+1 (703) 287-7570

+1 (703) 287-7421

ken.levy@iridium.com 

jordan.hassin@iridium.com 

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iridium-announces-second-quarter-2026-results-302831462.html

SOURCE Iridium Communications Inc.

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U.S. News & World Report Reveals the 2027 Best Places to Retire

Published

14 minutes ago

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October 27, 2026

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Affordability is a top priority for attendees as Midland, Michigan, holds No. 1 spot.

Summary

Midland, Michigan, is the No. 1 Best Place to Retire for the second year in a row.Affordability is the most considered factor when choosing a place to retire in 2027.Florida and Texas dominate the top 250 Best Places to Retire, offering a number of affordable and retiree-tax friendly locations.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2027 Best Places to Retire in the United States.

Midland, Michigan, retained the No. 1 rank for the second year in a row. Midland scored high in affordability and retiree taxes, helping it to lock in the top spot.

“Retirees are seeking a place that gives them a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years,” said Megan Wood, assistant managing editor, home services and real estate. “Whether that comfort prioritizes scenic nature spots, access to multi-cultural experiences, or everyday affordability, places like Midland, Michigan, offer financial safety while still providing a good quality of life.”

Homosassa Springs, Florida, came in at No. 2 due to strong scores in affordability, 55+ population growth and retiree taxes. High performance for, quality of life, retiree taxes, affordability and quality of life resulted in Weirton, West Virginia, placing No. 3 on the list.

U.S. News adjusted its scoring weights for the 2027 rankings to mirror a growing concern for affordability in America. This resulted in multiple double-digit jumps in the top 25, including Paducah, Kentucky (No. 8), ascending into the top 10 for the first time.

“It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize,” Wood said. “The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that best suit retiree needs.”

U.S. News evaluated more than 850 U.S. cities – publishing the top 250 places – based on how well they meet American retirees’ expectations against measures including quality of life, affordability, healthcare, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration for retirees aged 55 and older.

The six measures factored into this year’s rankings were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are at or approaching retirement age (45 and older) to find out what matters most to people when they’re considering where to retire. Resources include federal, state and local data provided by Applied Geographic Solutions, which includes data sourced from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings. To learn more about how the rankings are determined, read the Best Places to Retire methodology.

Best Places to Retire is part of U.S. News’ Real Estate section, which provides rankings and tools to help individuals navigate the housing market, including home value estimates to working with an agent.

2027 U.S. News Best Places to Retire – Top 10 
*See the full rankings here.

Midland, Michigan Homosassa Springs, Florida Weirton, West VirginiaThe Woodlands, TexasSpring, TexasRancho Rio, New Mexico Altoona, PennsylvaniaPaducah, KentuckyLynchburg, Virginia Palm Coast, Florida 

For more information on Best Places to Retire, explore Facebook, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Instagram and X using #BestPlacesToRetire.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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IBM Introduces Identity and Control for AI Agents, Securing Frontier Intelligence for the Enterprise

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14 minutes ago

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October 27, 2026

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Enterprises are deploying agents faster than they can verify them. HashiCorp Vault uses Agent Identity to give each agent a governed identity Verified agents still need limits on access. Vault extends its established secrets management to AI agents, built to enforce least-privilege access and enable real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action Enterprises can’t scale agents they can’t see, test or account for. IBM watsonx Orchestrate is designed to unify discovery, containment, and evaluation across Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini 

ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At TechXchange 2026, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is announcing new capabilities to help developers, IT and security teams put AI agents to work across business systems with clear authority and accountability. IBM brings together agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation to help organizations understand who owns each agent, control what it can access, and trace its actions across existing applications and infrastructure.  

According to Gartner, by 2028 the average Fortune 500 enterprise will use over 150,000 AI agents. But only 13% of organizations believe that they have the right AI agent governance in place [1]. Persistent credentials, unclear ownership and disconnected controls make it harder to govern agents as they interact with other agents, invoke tools and act across teams, platforms and clouds. 

“The winners in enterprise AI are changing how their business runs, not simply adding more AI to it,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “For agents to take on real work across the systems a company depends on, it requires an AI operating model – one that connects agents to the business’s data, applications and infrastructure and runs them with the same discipline as its most critical systems. Build trust and control into that model, and agents stop being a technology and become a way of doing business.”  

Today’s announcements extend IBM’s portfolio to deliver an AI operating model of four essential systems working together: agents, data, automation and hybrid infrastructure. This starts with the trust and control every agent needs – a verified identity, only the access it needs, and one place to discover, secure and evaluate agents regardless of where they were built. 

Extending HashiCorp Vault to AI agents
HashiCorp Vault manages the secrets and credentials that applications and services use to access business systems. It provides that control through centrally managed secrets, automated rotation for supported credentials, and dynamically generated credentials that expire or can be revoked. These capabilities help reduce the time exposed credentials remain usable and limit access to the permissions configured for each role. 

HashiCorp Vault already secures non-human identities for organizations including ABN AMRO, Adobe, athenahealth, BBVA, BlackRock, Canva, Duke Energy, Expedia, London Stock Exchange, Starbucks, Swiss Federal Railways and Target, across systems that process billions of dollars in transactions [2]. HashiCorp will now extend those capabilities to AI agents, issuing secured, short-lived credentials that limit each agent to what it needs. 

Establishing agent identity and accountability
AI agents are a growing class of non-human identity, alongside applications and services. As they begin acting across business systems, enterprises need a clear record of who owns each agent and what authority it has been granted. HashiCorp is combining governed agent identity with credential controls to help organizations delegate work with defined authority and accountability. 

When used with HashiCorp Vault, Agent Identity establishes the authoritative record for each agent, such as who owns it, its lifecycle status and the authority it has been granted. Built to extend existing identity and security investments, it shares relevant identity and authorization context with Vault’s credential controls – ultimately enforcing least-privilege access and enabling real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action. 

Controlling agent credentials and access
Identifying an agent is only the start. Enterprises also need to control the credentials it uses to reach databases, applications and cloud services – and how long those credentials remain valid. As agents invoke tools and act across business systems, their credentials become a critical security boundary. An agent with a long-lived, overprivileged credential can put systems and data at risk if it’s compromised or acts outside its intended task. Enterprises need to establish what each agent’s job is, limit the access it receives and revoke that access when circumstances change. 

These controls extend beyond initial authentication. If an agent attempts to retrieve information or perform actions outside its approved permissions, the access can be denied and session revoked in real time to prevent unauthorized activity. Vault’s short-lived credentials and least-privilege controls can further restrict what an agent accesses and the duration of those permissions.  

Additional capabilities include: 

Vault 2.2 gives agents their own secured accounts, automatically renews their credentials and incorporates post-quantum encryption for quantum-era threats. Secure Hub (public preview) gives companies centralized visibility across their Vault environments to make it easier to understand operational health, usage and security resources. 

At TechXchange, client speakers will share how they use Vault to secure enterprise applications, workloads and AI agents 

athenahealth: Automating certificate management with Vault’s PKI engine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Applying IBM Verify and Vault to AI agent identity, just-in-time access, dynamic secrets and auditability. Optum: Using Vault Radar to detect exposed secrets and Boundary for just-in-time, identity-based access. Seven-Eleven Japan: Centralizing and encrypting secrets with Vault Enterprise and detecting hardcoded secrets with Vault Radar. Yum! Brands: Building an identity security platform with IBM Verify, with a look ahead to machine identities and secrets management. 

“AI presents extraordinary opportunities to accelerate biomedical research and discovery, but realizing its potential requires a foundation of security, trust, and responsible governance,” said Shailesh M. Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “In my experience, technologies such as IBM Verify and HashiCorp Vault can play an important role in helping organizations establish the identity, access, and security controls needed to innovate with confidence.”  

Managing agents across platforms
Identity tells organizations what an agent is. But they also need to see every agent they have, wherever it was built. IBM watsonx Orchestrate works across the AI ecosystem, not inside a single vendor’s platform, to give organizations one place to discover, secure and evaluate their agents. Capabilities include: 

Discover (tech preview): Organizations can’t govern agents they don’t know exist. Orchestrate connects to platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini to find agents built in third-party environments, so teams can see and manage agents instead of adding them manually. This capability also extends to models and MCP servers. Contain (tech preview): One rogue agent can disrupt others and spread mistakes across the business. Orchestrate now runs agents in isolated sandboxes so a rogue agent can’t interfere with others. Teams also now have access to a kill switch to shut down any agent. Evaluate: Agents that aren’t tested and tracked can quietly drift off course and increase costs. Teams using Orchestrate can now test the quality, accuracy and compliance of agents, models and MCP servers before deployment, then monitor them in production. Built-in cost tracking shows each agent’s model and token use, so teams can spot what’s driving spend and fix it. 

Orchestrate also works with Vault’s credential controls and Agent Identity to establish what each agent’s job is, govern its authority and enforce least-privilege credential access. Together, these controls help organizations authorize and audit agent actions and rapidly revoke trust and credentials when risk changes. 

Connecting agents to the business
Once agents are authorized to use a company’s APIs and tools, they need to know what already exists, how systems connect, what can be reused safely and what their actions could affect. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub is built to provide that knowledge through its Unified Context Engine, so agents can fix problems like stuck messages or deploy an API using what’s already in place. Skills, approval policies and audit controls keep those actions in check. Instead of rebuilding for AI, organizations can put agents to work on the systems they already depend on. 

Scaling agents with NVIDIA
Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault integrate with NVIDIA OpenShell secure runtime software, the foundation of the NVIDIA OpenShell Architecture. Together, they pair a protected environment for agents to run in with a verified identity and short-lived credentials for every agent, so each action can be traced, limited and reviewed. 

“Businesses need enforceable control over how agents operate and what they can access,” said John Fanelli, vice president, enterprise software, NVIDIA. “Our work with IBM combines NVIDIA OpenShell’s policy-governed runtime with Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault to help enterprises scale AI agents with secure execution, verified identities and tightly scoped access to business systems.” 

Responding to Emerging Security Threats
When new vulnerabilities are discovered, enterprises must quickly identify affected systems, determine required changes and deploy fixes without disrupting critical operations. In complex environments, this process often involves multiple teams, tools and processes. 

IBM Concert integrates observability, optimization, incident management and security across applications, infrastructure and networks. With AI-powered insights and proof of exploitability, Concert helps teams to identify high-risk vulnerabilities, assess operational impact, and coordinate responses. These capabilities also help organizations address performance, manage costs and maintain resilience in hybrid environments. 

HashiCorp Terraform provides an infrastructure context and governed workflows for change implementation. New features now generally available and in public preview, including Terraform policy, Terraform Developer Portal and Terraform remote MCP server, enable developers and AI agents to access approved configurations and implement infrastructure changes through established controls. Terraform powered by Infragraph also helps teams understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies for more informed decisions. 

Together, these capabilities enable organizations to progress from identifying vulnerabilities to implementing and verifying remediation, while optimizing the visibility and governance essential for enterprise operations. 

A comprehensive system intelligence and change orchestration layer for IBM Z 
IBM Z Atlas maps a client’s entire z/OS stack across infrastructure, middleware, and applications, and then uses that intelligence to address the manual effort of tasks like patch management, regulatory response, and sharing system knowledge across teams, from systems programmers to application developers. Atlas addresses the leading cause of unplanned z/OS outages – changes that aren’t proven to be safe – by mapping how a change impacts the z/OS stack and testing and validating it. This design (in tech preview) accelerates clients’ modernization efforts by keeping experts in control and giving practitioners, in operations or development, the same shared Z system visibility to reduce risk. 

Availability
HashiCorp Vault 2.2, Agent Identity, watsonx Orchestrate evaluate capabilities, IBM Concert, and HashiCorp Terraform policy are generally available. Secure Hub, Terraform Developer Portal, Terraform remote MCP server, and IBM Z Atlas are in public preview. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub and watsonx Orchestrate discover and contain capabilities are in tech preview. 

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only. 

Learn more
IBM TechXchange is IBM’s annual conference for developers and technology practitioners and brings together nearly 6,500 attendees from 85 countries. This year, the event incorporates HashiConf to bring together the HashiCorp community with practitioners from across IBM, Red Hat and Confluent. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 sessions and experiences, including 180 hands-on labs, 260 client-led sessions and more than 50 certification exams. Speakers include American Airlines, Bradesco, Citi, CVS Health, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Hertz, and US Bancorp who will share how they are making AI enterprise ready. 

Session livestream and replays will be available here: ibm.biz/txc26-livestream.  

Supporting Materials

Strengthen security for agentic AI with new Vault, Verify, Boundary, and Secure Hub capabilities  IBM Agent Identity now generally available: Building Trust for the Agentic Era  Vault Enterprise 2.2 advances identity security, PKI, and cryptoagility  Announcing the public preview of Secure Hub: govern Vault at scale  IBM watsonx Orchestrate advances AI agent management with new capabilities  IBM Integration Intelligence Hub gives AI the context to act, not just access IBM Concert platform advances the path to cross-domain agentic IT operations  Terraform advances infrastructure lifecycle management for the agentic era Introducing IBM Z Atlas: Change Intelligence for IBM Z 

[1]: Gartner Identifies Six Steps to Manage AI Agent Sprawl
[2]: HashiCorp Vault client stories  

About IBM  
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. 

Media contacts:

Sarah Benchaita
IBM
sarah.benchaita@ibm.com

Kate Lehman
IBM
Kate.Lehman@ibm.com 

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Three Blind Spots Leave Industrial Companies Exposed to Critical Mineral Shortages

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14 minutes ago

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October 27, 2026

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Boston Consulting Group Finds Industrial Companies Underestimate Their Critical Mineral Exposure, Which Also Limits Their Access to Public CapitalDemand for Key Minerals Is Projected at 120% to 250% of Forecast Supply Through 2040An Estimated $3.5 Trillion of Products Depend on Gallium, a “Mosquito Mineral” Traded in a Market Under $350 Million a YearSome Governments Have Deployed Less Than 10% of Their Critical Minerals Funds

BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial companies are underestimating their exposure to critical mineral shortages and missing a strategic opportunity as a result, according to new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Three blind spots in the metrics that companies rely on hide where the risk sits, including what BCG calls “mosquito minerals,” so small by traded value that they never reach a risk register.

These are among the findings of Why Critical Mineral Shortages Are a CEO Issue, a BCG report released today. BCG’s proprietary model projects demand for key inputs, including rare earths, graphite, copper and lithium, at roughly 120% to 250% of forecast supply through 2040.

“Most industrials track exposure through spend and direct supplier data, and the minerals that can stop a production line are often the ones they spend almost nothing on,” said Tycho Möncks, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. “The question for CEOs and boards is not whether their company is exposed. It is. The question is whether they intend to live with that exposure or turn it into an advantage.”

Small Markets Can Stall Large Industries

Companies often start their risk assessment with the bill of materials, which points them toward high-volume metals such as copper and lithium. Mosquito minerals fall outside that view. Their traded value is tiny, but the value chains that depend on them are not.

Rare earths. The rare earths used in a fighter jet are worth less than the paint that coats the plane.Gallium. The global market is worth under $350 million a year, with production of only about 900 tons, yet BCG estimates about $3.5 trillion of final products depend on it.Arsenic. The upstream market is about $50 million worldwide, yet a single producer supplies roughly 60% of the ultra-high-purity grade used in 5G and 6G infrastructure, data center optics, radar systems, and defense electronics.Byproduct supply. Gallium, germanium and arsenic are recovered as byproducts of other mining and industrial processes, so the host metal’s market sets their supply. Even a sharp price spike may not bring new production.

Exposure Hides Below Tier One Suppliers

A company that buys almost no critical minerals directly can still be acutely exposed because minerals arrive embedded in motors, magnets, power modules, lasers and sensors. They also sit in the tools and processes used to make those components, from crucibles and catalysts to dies and the capital equipment itself.

Turbine blades, engine blocks and structural aerospace components, for example, are machined with cutting tools made of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt. A manufacturer that has never bought either metal directly can still see production stop if those tools run short, a dependency that appears on no bill of materials.

Companies also tend to map where critical minerals are mined, but for some minerals the bottleneck is processing, not production. A map of where assets sit and a map of who owns them can look very different, so a change of supplier that looks like diversification may leave a company’s exposure unchanged.

Public Capital Is Committed but Largely Unspent

The three blind spots also lead to a strategic miss. The International Energy Agency reports that public finance commitments to critical minerals in advanced economies reached around $65 billion in 2025, more than four times the 2023 level. BCG’s review of government-backed vehicles found the flagship instruments barely deployed, with some countries having spent less than 10% of their allocated capital and others nothing.

These vehicles are designed to draw in private capital, and offtake requirements are typically the main eligibility gate. BCG argues that companies without a clear view of their own exposure cannot make a credible commitment, and so cannot qualify. The funds are not free money: they carry conditions such as reporting obligations and localization requirements, and they represent only about one tenth of the capital needed through 2040. But for industrial companies, BCG says, they are a way to build a competitive advantage.

Several of the companies that have reframed their approach and tapped public capital are industrial companies and trading firms, not miners, and BCG found that in each case the CEO and executive team led the process of identifying and correcting their blind spots.

“These blind spots have a cost beyond risk. The money is there, but it comes with offtake requirements, and a company cannot make a credible commitment without knowing its own exposure,” said Karthik Valluru, a BCG managing director and senior partner who coauthored the report. “Mapping that exposure properly is where the opportunity starts.”

Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/critical-minerals-risk-blind-spots

Media Contact: 
Bruce Wraight
wraight.bruce@bcg.com 

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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