IBM Watson Ecosystem Partners in Market Building Businesses

First of all, I am a super fans of high science and technology. Watson system reminded me of an old TV play called “Knight Rider“ in which there was a fantastic car called “KITT”. As the development of cloud-delivered cognitive computing technologies, it seems that owning an AI-KITT will never be a daydream for people in the near future.
Let’s keep on imaging that we can soon own an intelligent computer system like Samantha of movie <Her> to communicate with as human, own a translating system with a cloud containing all languages in the world to talk with foreigners fluently, own a Baymax of movie <Big Hero 6> to diagnose illnesses just by a glance. What an exciting world!
Watson system now benefits a lot of fields like product marketing and health care and so on. Obviously, traditional labor market will be changed a lot. AI robots will replace humans in some fields and new kind of jobs will emerge as well, stimulating workers to obtain more new skills to adopt to a new industrial revolution.

I actually got some different inspiration after read this article. First is product innovation. It’s not doubt that Watson is a fascinating ecosystem. I am pretty sure it will be able to change the structure of some industry. Product diversify is a great innovation initiative to keep the company’s competitiveness. As we learnt in our first CBI class: in this place it takes all the running you can to keep in the same place. Competition is everywhere, what’s the best action to always remain dominance? Obviously creativity and innovation is the option.

Secondly I start to thinking about ourselves. With the development of computer and internet, what will be the advantages of our human being? Especially for some entry level jobs, they are easy to be replaced by computer. Or I should say this kind of jobs have already been replaced by computers and cheaper manpower. We can see more and more manufacturing sites been moved from western countries to easter countries. How western counties still keep the corn value is something we can learn as well. We should re-consider our real value in job market, any additional value we can bring in? Can we easily be replaced by someone else? How to keep the core-competitiveness?

I think creativity is the thing we should always keep in mind. Re-consider everything around us, really think out of the box, the innovation can be created by ourselves.

I really would like to applause for IBM, a century-old company, who always had such great courage to make changes and step into new millstones in its critical moments. IBM is known as an evergreen in the technology industry. To build a great company to last, IBM showed us its ability to continue the transformation and innovation. Even though IBM has successfully experienced the three major transitions during its hundred-year history, like other large companies in the new environment, IBM has to come up with more courage to subvert and change itself.

IBM Watson will find increasing competition, especially in machine learning, a subset of cognitive computing that is of interest to Google, Microsoft and others. IBM's future approach for Watson is more technically sophisticated and could prove better in the long run. But faster-moving, less ambitious approaches to business problems often win out.

The Watson Ecosystem let me reminiscent of the Apple ecosystem, but the former focuses more on enterprise-level application. Watson’s capabilities are available as APIs and help businesses of all sizes to tackle challenges in every industry – from retail and eCommerce to healthcare and financial services. With the Watson Ecosystem, partners not only tap into IBM’s extensive knowledge and resources to build and commercialize cognitive products, but they also have a direct line to a broad community of like-minded peers. During the interaction with great minds, the next generation of cognitive technologies maybe emerge.
Take the healthcare industry for example, it can offer expert suggestions for remote and under-development areas as lack of resources. It can also dig into the huge database to identify rare diseases. The future seems gorgeous and the social welfare is improved widely.
I hope it could be a good assisstant via leveraging the data to provide a series of solutions finally to make life better instead of replacing human.
From the IBM case, it proves to us that the "elephant" can also dance when it keeps innovating even subverting itself. There's another ready example showing the everlasting based on innovation, i.e. GE, which is also under transforming to a digital industry company.

Zou Fuyong wrote:IBM Watson will find increasing competition, especially in machine learning, a subset of cognitive computing that is of interest to Google, Microsoft and others. IBM's future approach for Watson is more technically sophisticated and could prove better in the long run. But faster-moving, less ambitious approaches to business problems often win out.

IBM Watson, Google brain, Microsoft, they are not competitors to each other, and their competitor is human being. The computer, A.I. are able to do more and more jobs which were traditional only human being can do. How do human being react to it? Don't worry, the human being as a whole. More and more jobs, which require more higher skill(about data processing, big data,etc), will be created. The number of high skill programmers, who write the program for A.I., will be improved.

It’s very interesting to learn about the multiple application areas for IBM Watson, which makes the business so different. It speeds up the reaction to market needs, customizes the services to consumers, and processes huge data with high efficiency.  It will take on market-facing assignment and optimize it to a larger extent, and shorten the journey to consumers. In this way, the commercial world will be entirely different from what we are today, we will have different business pattern, the competition will get more intensive with  shortened journey to consumers.

A lot of young entrepreneurs ask those questions to themselves: What should I do to make my organization different with the others? IBM Watson is probably giving an answer. The partnership in the Ecosystem is a new program providing Watson cognitive technology to businesses, access to IBM’s network and a community of entrepreneurial organizations working to solve their industry’s toughest challenges. IBM did not stick on its traditional advantages, but instead, it launched new business ventures in other fields, such as Healthcare, IT Services and Financial Services. It fuels the users of cognitive computing solutions. IBM Watson has shown a new era of computing in which apps and systems can interact with the users more naturally, and it has been committed to learning how it can be improved to assist the users all the time.

The article impressed me quite a lot, even i can say i was shocked by what Watson Ecosystem can in future understand the world in the way that humans do, i would say WOW !! Even though gave a second thought on how much real it will come true, but at least it makes me recall what we learned from professor Ali mentioned on our second class - with the economy development changes with increased speed and higher complexity, what's the job moving trend, which make everyone thinking what ourselves unique value is now that makes us non-replacible, and can i go with the same wave or i will be phased out...?

Watson is a great technical achievement, pioneering a new ear of computing. In the meatime this world is progressing fastly with big data collection and analysis. Based on new platform and data, partners developed a lot of products and services. In the future, products and services would be further enriched, and IBM should establish a certain process & standard to manage these new solutions.

Before reading this articale, I was always thinking about why IBM sold its PC business. Now there is no doubt that IBM have shifted to a new business model which brings innovative cutting-edge products. And i have to say IBM is a amazing company that is always seeking new opportunities in this VUCCA world!
By leveraging the cognitive computing technology platform, IBM is creating a new ecosystem. It's actually a disruptive innovation which has entered to a new or emerging marketing. This business model has created unique and hard-to-imitated experience to customers and end-users (with high entry barrier), and it has brought a new market and value proposition. I believe finally IBM would disrupted the existing market.

From the article, i can see the glorious future, an ecosystem which everything can connect and sense seamlessly, then contribute and collaborate to complete the thing from daily life to creative mind fields. IBM is a great company which put forward the view of future with cognitive computing, the Waston integrate the kinds of knowledge work with APIs to build a ecosystem which provide a collaborate platform to make product and services. it can provide entirety service for customers, like paying, healthy care, knowledge management,career, strategy advisory,marketing, R&D,wine recommendations and so on, it like the hub that collect the instruction from many sources and feedback or route the response to special destination based on a regular basis. In information time, we could enter the new era with intelligence life, every one will create the extra value to boost the process of civilization. However, the Waston platform need consider the protection of the person or company's privacy and business patent,which may slow down the efficiency of operation.

Minqiang Tim WU wrote:

Zou Fuyong wrote:IBM Watson will find increasing competition, especially in machine learning, a subset of cognitive computing that is of interest to Google, Microsoft and others. IBM's future approach for Watson is more technically sophisticated and could prove better in the long run. But faster-moving, less ambitious approaches to business problems often win out.

IBM Watson, Google brain, Microsoft, they are not competitors to each other, and their competitor is human being. The computer, A.I. are able to do more and more jobs which were traditional only human being can do. How do human being react to it? Don't worry, the human being as a whole. More and more jobs, which require more higher skill(about data processing, big data,etc), will be created. The number of high skill programmers, who write the program for A.I., will be improved.

I think above companies all find the suitable product or service to meet the requirement of the social ecology and then get the comparative advantage, if based on this view, they are competitors.

The first thing I did after reading this article was trying to search the Apps and download them. The sparks from those startups combining with IBM Watson platforms are really inspiring. The action of IMB, that opening the new platform and even drawing investment to selected starups, is going to reshape the era of computing. And it exactly echoed with what we learnt from Ali's lesson, VUCCA era is coming. And IBM seems already smartly provide answer to those rough cases we analyzed in the class, like Lenovo and Microsoft. It is not only ready for the change but also creating the era.

I think the biggest differentiation or key competence of IBM's Waston platform was its "learning ability". It continuously learns, gaining in value and knowledge over time, from previous interactions, so similar to the human intelligent. In the future, no matter in terms of individual or organizations, the continuous learning ability would be the foundation to survive in the new era.

Meanwhile this article also indicated the role of colllaboration would be a key too. The Watson reunions the expertise and great ideas from all aspects of the human society, like business, college education, health care and even life experience enhancer: wine recommendation. And basing on IBM's base in both financial and technology area, the commercialziation becomes possible. This is probably a way for creating future real super platform.

And i think the key for IMB to bring the platform and projects on it into live, is human and time. Establishing a team that has vision and is able to act and learn quickly will be vital to success.

Large-scale of data gathering and analytics are quickly becoming a new frontier of competitive differentiation. The combined effects of emerging Internet technologies, and increased computing power would create huge value and may change the traditional ways to do business, by improving management decision process and speeding the development of new products and services. IBM is taking the lead in this by inviting partners in its ecosystem, providing them with powerful cognitive computing capability.
IBM hesitated about to build or to power such ecosystem, and I believe the blue giant did right thing to open up Watson to developers, and leave the open environment for innovation. Because there might be new applications of artificial intelligence that even IBM hasn't imagined before.

Firstly, when I saw Watson my instinct is that artificial intelligence has arrived.
Watson starts new era of computer, opening a cognitive computing technology platform. It can rapidly offer the required information given by knowledge of human being. It helps business partners to differentiate their business. Commercial application prospect is very optimistic. However, Watson just provides the knowledge and experience to support new products and problems. We have to use it as a tool and not relying or depending on it directly.
Watson system could understand the world same with what humans do, that’s why human being has to worry that our work might be replaced by this system. However, technology development gave us new learning and skills to have a better improvement in life.

After reading this article, we know IBM try to build a new ecosystem for their own. This technological innovative behavior is the business model innovation.
The biggest advantage is it could let its suppliers, customers and partners reach the win-win situation and the strategy reducing the risks of investing new technology directly.
And this technological innovation will impact in today’s world. It means creativity jobs are becoming dominate. Like other companies, such as Alibaba, Google are inclined to provide a platform for partnership so that they could benefit from the latest technology.
A platform is a tool for people from every fields and different backgrounds. Taking advantage of this platform, online marketing, personal health and family care, athletic, consulting and other industries could restructure their industry .

The first impression of reading the article is whether the news is written by Watson or human. It is incredible several years ago,however, it became true nowdays.
from the article, i found that Watson is not only a programme that can beat human in knowledge game. It is a platform or ecosystem which can provide rich AI functions. On the one hand ,the platform can help small company to developing software with less cost(they did not need to develop basic component), on the other hand, it can ensure the leading role of IBM in future market(can you image most companies rely on Watson). IBM is a miracle in infromation companies, it lasts more than 100 years although great changes have happened.In my view, Providing not only produce but also basic service maybe the key reason

The more and more use of apps, huge amount of data gathering and analytics have truely become the core competitive advantages of Watson. By involving the a whole business chain, the suppliers, customers and partners form the win-win situation. We always say the 21th century is the technology and internet era. Waterson has take full use of this concept: Watson starts new era of computer, opening a cognitive computing technology platform. People spend more time on internet and Watson used the social media marketing strategy, which could attract audience from various channels to the branding recognition. It's a disruptive innovation and the business model has created unique and hard-to-imitated experience to customers and end-users. It provides diverse solutions for the customers.

Cloud computer is a very good idea to solve a lot of problems in common and service a lot of people.
Base on the database we have on hand and the analysis on the human behavior, the computer can understand the people's thinking, and do the things people wants them to do or even hope them to do.

However, the use of the cloud computing technology would definitely replace some high skill jobs in these days, because it can be simply solved by the computer. For example, consultation is a high skill works, based on the experience and knowledge. If Waston has a much bigger database, maybe it can do the things better than human being. It will be a big thread definitely.

Martin Ma - Ma Jinhui wrote:Before reading this article, I really didn't know the Watson system. I only knew Watson defeated the smartest persons in Jeopardy! and Deep Blue defeated Kasparov.
According to this article, Watson belongs to AI (Artificial intelligence) area. It works behind the platform, so person can't feel and know the existent of Watson, but it affect our lives secretly. Maybe IBM need learn some thing from Intel, let everyone that uses all kinds of app knows these software are powdered by Watson just like Intel CPU in computer.

It's a good idea of Marketing! Just like "Intel Inside"! Let's "Watson Behind!"

The partners in a open ecosystem of IBM provide many creative products, in different industry/perspectives. It's a reasonable way to use the partnership outside the company, and to share the benefits.This Reminders me one sentence "if you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go farther, go together."

JasmineWang王蔚宁 wrote:IBM and Watson is a great cooperation. Nowadays, we have enter information age. Large quantity of systems and apps support human beings daily life. Watson is lean on IBM strength to do more for consumer and staff. Data is no longer only the data, it becomes a tool to serve the people and make human beings life much more easy and convenient. That’s the win-win situation. On the one hand, consumer can get real benefit through on-line service, like citizen services and wine collection. On the other hand, company can also get benefit from these data collection to understand the consumer’s real needs and also to build the society ecosystem.
But challege is also exist, how to ensure customer priviate information safe?How IBM and Watson to share information to each others?How to attract more supplier to join this program?. etc.

Doesn't Watson belong to IBM? IBM developed Watson!

IBM made its advanced Watson supercomputer available as an open cloud platform to third party developers , opening up possibilities for applications based on its IA capabilities. They got a vision in foresight of future trend in all the industries.According to IBM, it ‘represents a significant shift in system architecture and the ability for organisations to quickly analyse, understand and respond to big data.’ The computer itself can learn, digest, analysis based on the cognitive technology. The apps based on this technology help enterprise in every aspect, like financial, marketing, hr...Some work required much analysis and researches now can be done within a short time and in a much more accurate measurement. The companies can be more efficient and resources can be made full use of.

Artificial intelligence can be seen in some movies but the IBM’s announcement on Watson Ecosystem means that it is walking into our real life.They have got the significant milestone in this area and still believe “Watson” will change the world.

Because the app economy is in full swing and IBM also want to catch the chance depending on the “Watson”.The market promotion is on going and they try to provide the personal service by this platform.They developed the good business partners and built up the reasonable business model,so they got the good progress.

What I am thinking that the automation or the artificial intelligence is the trend and no one can stop it.The high technology must give us better life so that history can choose them.The low-skill work must be replaced and high-skill or human feeling related work will become more important.We should not worried about that but open the arm to welcome the new life.

But machine is just machine and ,human create and control it.Creation and innovation will still be leaded by people.Due to this we should continue study the new things to update the information.At the same time,we will contribute other greater ideas.