IBM Unveils Industry’s First Platform to Integrate All Data Types for AI-Powered Decision-Making

SOURCE: IBM

ARMONK, N.Y. – 27 Sept. 2016: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled “Project DataWorks,” an initiative from Watson that is the industry’s first cloud-based data and analytics platform to integrate all types of data and enable AI-powered decision-making. Project DataWorks is designed to make it simple for business leaders and data professionals to collect, organize, govern and secure data, so they can gain the insights needed to become a cognitive business.

Businesses today understand the competitive advantage of gaining insights from data. However, obtaining those insights can be increasingly complex, and most of this work is done by highly skilled data professionals who work in silos with disconnected tools and data services that may be difficult to manage, integrate, and govern. Also, because data is never static, businesses must continually iterate their data models and products—often manually—to benefit from the most relevant, up-to-date insights.

Project DataWorks can help businesses break down these barriers by connecting all data and insights for their users. All data-driven professionals can work together on an integrated, self-service platform, sharing common datasets and models in a trusted manner that helps ensure governance, while rapidly iterating data projects and products. Now, instead of spending time finding and preparing data for analysis, users can focus their efforts on the core mission – uncovering business-changing insights.

Available on Bluemix, IBM’s Cloud platform, Project DataWorks can help to redefine how data professionals collaborate by tapping into a number of key innovations, such as Apache Spark, IBMWatson Analytics, and the IBM Data Science Experience. It is designed to help organizations:

– Automate the deployment of data assets and products using cognitive-assisted machine learning and Apache Spark;

– Ingest data faster than any other data platform, from 50 to hundreds of Gbps, and all endpoints: enterprise databases, Internet of Things, weather, and social media;

– Leverage an open ecosystem of more than 20 partners and technologies, such as Continuum Analytics, Galvanize, Alation, NumFOCUS, and RStudio.

Additionally, Project DataWorks is underpinned by core cognitive capabilities, such as cognitive-assisted machine learning. This helps speed up the process from data discovery to model deployment, and helps users uncover new insights that were previously hidden to them.

“We are at an inflection point in the big data era,” said Bob Picciano, senior vice president, IBM Analytics. “We know that users spend up to 80 percent of their time on data preparation, no matter the task, even when they are applying the most sophisticated AI. Project DataWorks helps transform this challenge by bringing together all data sources on one common platform, enabling users to get the data ready for insight and action, faster than ever before.”

The new platform was designed with the same proven approach used by The Weather Company, an IBM Business, to help users gain insights that impact everyday decision-making for both businesses and consumers. This includes a flexible data architecture, rapid ingestion of multiple data sources, and internet-scale data and analytics.

Dimagi, KollaCode LLC, nViso, Quetzal, RSG Media, Runkeeper, SeniorAdvisor.com and TabTor Math are already tapping into the benefits of Project DataWorks.

“Runkeeper, now part of the ASICS family, is committed to providing a highly personalized experience for each of our 50 million global users to help them achieve their fitness goals,” said Jason Jacobs, founder, Runkeeper. “Project DataWorks offers a comprehensive cloud-based data and analytics platform that provides the perfect environment for us to experiment with and roll out new offerings for our users.”

RSG Media, a global leader in delivering analytical software and services to the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, is using Project DataWorks to perform analytics across a mountain of first- and third-party data sets. These include monitoring cross-platform content and advertising viewership, and identifying individual viewing behaviors while cross-analyzing demographic, lifestyle and social insights. With the entire industry facing huge uncertainty in decoding audience behaviors, RSG Media has helped its clients gain greater insights on audience preferences and develop optimized programming schedules. In one scenario, this resulted in a lift of $50 million to a single network’s bottom line.

“We realized that we needed more than just a cloud infrastructure provider. We needed a partner to help us manage data on an unprecedented scale, and empower our clients to turn that data into insight,” said Mukesh Sehgal, founder and chief executive officer, RSG Media. “IBM is the only cloud vendor who offers an integrated set of capabilities for building advanced analytics applications that would allow us to quickly and cost-effectively bring new offerings to market.”

IBM will also enable business partners to certify their offerings within Project DataWorks, providing customers with greater choice to use the latest open source technologies and third-party offerings.

Building a Blueprint for a Data-Driven Culture

IBM today is also announcing the DataFirst Method to help clients derive the full benefits of these innovations. The IBM DataFirst Method is a methodology that enables organizations to assess the skills and roadmap needed to transform into a cognitive business that is driven by insight and gains the most value from data.

With the amount of data that is produced doubling every two years, enterprises are struggling with how to continually increase the value they get from it. They need a clear roadmap that shows them how to progress in their use of data. Using the IBM DataFirst Method, IBM’s more than 2,000 global practitioners can utilize proven practices and methods to help clients transform their processes for data discovery, handling and analytics.

For more information, please visit: http://ibm.co/dataworks.