International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) offers a cognitive tool using its Watson supercomputer to help businesses analyze data on performance to predict future scenarios.
The tool is the latest Watson-powered product developed by the company, and is expected to make data analysis easier and more powerful for researchers. The Watson supercomputer is part of the company's transition from hardware devices into more efficient and profitable cloud computing.
The supercomputer was developed to perform cutting-edge calculations, including analysis on language and speech patterns, according to the Wall Street Journal. IBM also fed the computer with tons of information from encyclopedias, literary works and dictionaries. The system can efficiently handle 500 gigabytes of information per second.
Clients of Watson Analytics can use the service by uploading their data and asking the tool questions regarding performance and the most profitable sector of the enterprise. Using artificial intelligence, the computer will analyze the information and provide answers and visualizations. It can also present predictions based on current trends.
"When people have individual problems, they can get answers without having to call a data scientist or call IT, without having to become a data scientist themselves," general manager of business analytics for IBM, Alistair Rennie told Reuters.
IBM announced that they will feed Watson with data on industry, economic and geographic data, in order to make analyses more comprehensive and up to date.
The Watson Analytics will be offered in beta testing mode in October and will be opened for everyone in November. The free option will allow clients to access the basic features of the program. Additional charges will apply for premium service. This will enable clients to analyze larger volumes of data.
Some of the businesses currently using one of IBM Watson's programs are Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and Baylor College of Medicine for their clinical trials on drug development.
