Watson powers up with partners
IBM continues to make big push into Internet of Things
LAS VEGAS IBM CEO Ginni Rometty envisions an Internet of Things that is growing quickly, and, with Big Blue’s help, is getting smarter.
“It is the dawn of a new era, the cognitive era, digital business plus digital intelligence,” she said during her keynote speech here Wednesday.
More than 500 partners and 80,000 developers are working on an Internet of Things platform powered by IBM’s Watson, which Rometty called “the world’s first cognitive system.”
Each new application funnels in more data, which Watson makes sense of, constantly learning and offering solutions — becoming more digitally intelligent. “Wearables, sensors, cars, data everywhere,” she said. “But what will differentiate you is understanding that data.”
Rometty announced some key new partners that are using Watson technology:
Under Armour. IBM will work with the fitness company on a new version of its Under Armour Record app. Used by 160 million users, Record will now be able to offer personalized health and workout tips and nutrition. The result? “A daily dashboard for health,” Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank said.
Softbank. Watson helps bring intuition to the Japanese Internet and communications company’s emotive robot Pepper. The $2,000 robots began selling to the public in Japan last summer. Softbank has begun the testing of Watson-powered Pepper robots in banks and in stores. Pepper recommended the best coffee machines for customers, for instance, Softbank Robotics’ Ken Yoshida said. “And, actually sales increased,” he said.
Medtronic. The medical tech firm is teaming with IBM to create a diabetes management app that can predict hypoglycemic events up to three hours in advance. Today, patients attempt to monitor their own health with infrequent visits to their physicians, Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak said. “Watson makes a fundamental difference,” he said.
Whirlpool. Not only could appliances such as washers and dryers connected to the cloud operate at better efficiency, but a smart oven could analyze family eating habits and suggest healthier alternatives. “That’s the future I see in front of us,” Rometty said.