IBM, or International Business Machines, is a multinational technology company that specialises in producing and selling computer hardware, middleware, and software. Founded in 1911, IBM is one of the oldest technology companies in the world and has a long history of innovation and leadership in the industry.

IBM Watson sign
IBM Watson sign (Image: Shutterstock)

What is IBM known for?

IBM is known for its wide range of products and services, including its mainframe computers, which are used by many large corporations and government agencies around the world. IBM is also known for its AI-powered Watson platform, which is used in a variety of applications such as healthcare, finance, and customer service. Additionally, IBM is a well-known provider of IT services and consulting, helping businesses to optimise their operations and implement new technologies. In recent years, the company has also built up its efforts in Cloud computing and quantum computing, and has made several failed ventures into blockchain platforms.

Is IBM still a big company?

Yes, IBM is still a large company. In fact, it’s one of the world’s largest information technology employers and among the most valuable global brands, with a presence in over 170 countries and more than 300,000 employees across the globe. IBM consistently ranks among the top companies in terms of revenue and has a strong portfolio of intellectual property, including thousands of patents.

What is Watson?

IBM Watson is a powerful AI platform that allows users to analyse large amounts of data and make sense of it in real time. It’s a suite of AI services and solutions that can be used for a wide range of applications, from natural language processing and computer vision to healthcare and finance. IBM Watson also offers a range of development tools and APIs, making it easy for developers to build and deploy AI-powered applications.

One of the most well-known applications of IBM Watson is in healthcare, where it is used to help doctors and researchers analyse medical data and make more informed decisions. Watson is also used in financial services to help banks and other institutions better understand their customers and detect fraud. IBM Watson has been gaining attention for its ability to analyse and understand human emotions, language and sentiments, leading to increased use in the customer service and marketing industry.

Watson is not without controversy, however, as its healthcare function has run into repeated setbacks. Most notably, Watson was found to have misdiagnosed cancer patients, after which it emerged that the AI had been on trained on a small number of hypothetical cases from one hospital instead of real patient data.

The author generated this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.