IBM launches business unit to make Watson a moneymaker

January 09, 2014

IBM continues to commercialize its Watson-branded cognitive computing technology, setting up a new Watson business unit and unveiling two new Watson-derived services.IBM’s new division, called the Watson Business Group, will develop and run cloud-based cognitive applications and services on behalf of enterprise users. IBM will invest US$1 billion in the group, including $100 million earmarked to invest in startup companies building applications that run on the Watson Developer cloud.Michael Rhodin, who most recently served as a senior vice president for the IBM Software Solutions Group, will head up the Watson Group. The new business unit will be staffed by 2,000 IBM professionals and will be headquartered at 51 Astor Place in Manhattan, in New York’s “Silicon Alley” district.IBM first developed Watson as a research project to compete against humans on the game show “Jeopardy,” answering obscure trivia questions across a wide range of topics. Watson can formulate answers to specific questions using a range of source materials in various formats, honing its answers by, in effect, learning how to formulate the best responses through trial and error. This approach is known as cognitive computing because it involves a computer emulating a biological brain to learn about its environment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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