The major computer corporation, IBM, has made plans to invest in a group focusing on the research and development of cloud computing. The company expects to invest more than $1 billion dollars into this effort in order to help the group create cloud-based cognitive applications and services for businesses. The major investment will include more than $100 million to support IBM’s ecosystems of startups businesses building new applications. IBM is making a significant contribution to cloud computing through this investment and it is an important effort that could potentially transform how businesses create, distribute and consume information.
IBM Watson Group
IBM’s billion dollar investment is going into the new IBM Watson Group which will be headquartered in New York with more than 2,000 professionals working to design, develop and support cognitive computing technology. The group will be working on new technology that makes use of powerful computers and software to analyze information and give answers to complex problems like medical diagnoses or financial transactions. The work is based on artificial intelligence and will all be deployed in the cloud using IBM’s own Softlayer. IBM is proving through this investment that they are serious about the work that Watson Group is doing and want to make a contribution to the advancement of big data and analytics technology.
Creating A “Watson”
The work performed by the Watson Group is an effort to eventually create a “Watson” that can understand context, ask questions, have reason and use algorithms to help customers make decisions. The hope is that work in the labs will create a Watson that can fit into a smartphone and become a more advanced version of Apple’s Siri personal assistant app for the iPhone and iPad. The Watson Group has already created services delivered over the cloud including big data insights based on questions posed by the user. Their service known as IBM Watson Explorer helps users uncover and share data-driven insights more easily and makes it possible for businesses to launch big data initiatives faster.
With the type of technology being developed by the IBM Watson Group, a company executive can ask questions of their Watson analytics service and determine the causes of declining sales and related topics that can provide insight into improving business. Employees can all view and interact with data-driven insights and even add new data. The Watson Explorer also provides users with a framework for developing information-rich applications that deliver a comprehensive view of any topic for business users.
The Ultimate Advisor
With the investment that IBM has made into Watson, it is expected to become the ultimate advisors for better business decisions all powered by the cloud. The development to take place in advancing Watson technology will transform the professional and business world. IBM experts will identify markets for this kind of cognitive computing and they can include anything from health and financial services, retail, travel and telecommunications. The company believes that cognitive cloud computing has an important future and will be profitable for them as it grows and advances into a functional technology.
Leo Hart has spent years working in vps hosting and currently specializes in custom virtual server for Custom Cloud.