Dublin is one of first five IBM Watson Client Experience Centres worldwide

9 Oct 2014

Watson is coming to Dublin. IBM this morning revealed Dublin will be one of the first five centres to host a Watson Client Experience Centre, the tech giant’s big data and artificial intelligence platform.

IBM is expanding Watson to more than 25 countries round the world and Dublin ranks alongside New York’s Silicon Alley as one of the first locations to get the technology.

The Watson Silicon Alley headquarters will serve as a home base for more than 600 IBM Watson employees, just part of the more than 2,000 IBMers dedicated to Watson worldwide. 

IBM is investing US$1bn into the Watson Group, focusing on development and research and bringing cloud-delivered cognitive applications and services to market.

This includes US$100m available for venture investments to support IBM’s ecosystem of start-ups and businesses building cognitive apps made with Watson.

Doing the impossible

Watson is able to interact in natural language, process large amounts of big data to uncover patterns and insights and learn from each interaction.

According to technology research firm Gartner, Inc, smart machines will be the most disruptive change ever brought about by information technology, making people more effective and empowering them to “do the impossible.”

“Watson is bringing forward a new era of computing, enabling organisations around the globe to launch new businesses, redefine markets and transform industries,” said Mike Rhodin, senior vice-president, IBM Watson Group.

“Watson is fuelling a new market and ecosystem of clients, partners, developers, venture capitalists, universities and students. The next great innovations will come from people who are able to make connections that others don’t see and Watson is making possible.”

IBM image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com