IBM to shift free cloud support to self-service model by 2026

IBM Cloud will overhaul its free Basic Support tier in January 2026, moving customers to a self-service model. Users will lose the ability to open or escalate technical cases but retain billing help and access to IBM’s AI assistant. While IBM says the change aligns with industry standards, critics note that rivals like AWS, Azure, and Google dominate market share, raising questions over whether IBM is cutting costs—or cutting off smaller customers.