IBM Corp.’s (IBM, Financial) Watson is the technology industry’s leading artificial intelligence computing system. Since 2013 Watson has been working with businesses to provide advanced solutions. Watson’s first industry pairing was with a cancer treatment facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Also since 2013, Watson has expanded extensively to include numerous business offerings. Its main offerings now include Watson for Clinical Trial Matching, Watson for Oncology, Watson Discovery Advisor, Watson Explorer, Watson Engagement Advisor, Watson Analytics and Watson Curator. Beyond these main business offerings, IBM also has a Watson Knowledge Studio, which allows businesses to work with Watson on industry-specific business solutions.
On Sept. 24, IBM announced it would be expanding its Watson ecosystem by opening a new business location in San Francisco. The new business center will help IBM more directly target startups that seek to utilize the cognitive capabilities of Watson. The new location will also be a global headquarters for the IBM Commerce business, which has high-growth potential when paired with the capabilities of Watson.
The business expansion will continue to help improve revenue across all of IBM’s business segments. In the company’s most recent second quarter earnings announcement, it reported total revenue of $20.8 billion, an increase of 6% from the first quarter. For investors results from Watson initiatives will likely be a highlight in the company’s third quarter earnings results, which are scheduled for release on Oct. 19.
In a video report accompanying the West Coast expansion announcement, IBM provided further details on Watson and its business capabilities.
