IBM’s Watson analytics capabilities will transform industries that are managing massive amounts of data, according to the 2011 IBM Tech Trends Report released today.
Watson, which was named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, is a computing system built by a team of IBM scientists who set out to build a computing system that rivals a human’s ability to answer questions posed in natural language with speed, accuracy and confidence, according to IBM officials.
Developers around the world selected education and healthcare as the areas that could benefit the most, with financial services, life sciences and government also ranking near the top. Business analytics software is the most widely used technology of those surveyed and is being incorporated in almost every business process within organizations.
The majority of respondents believe that business analytics will continue to be in demand for software development. The report also outlines the growing importance of open source platforms such as Apache Hadoop and Linux for business analytics software developers.
An overwhelming majority (87 percent) of respondents said open source and open standard technologies will play a key role in the future of application development.
The report also predicts heavy uptake of cloud computing; during the next two years more than 75 percent of organizations will engage in cloud computing, respondents said. In addition, 51 percent of respondents cited the adoption of cloud technologies as part of their mobile strategy.
The 2011 Tech Trends Report surveyed more than 4,000 information technology professionals from 93 countries and 25 industries who provided their views on future IT trends. The results also show a growing need for technical skills in the areas of business analytics, social business, mobile computing, open source technologies and cloud computing.
The report also revealed regional cultural differences impact social business adoption. India is strongly embracing social business with a 57 percent adoption rate, followed by the US with a 45 percent adoption rate and China with a 44 percent adoption rate. Russia shows the strongest resistance with a 19 percent adoption rate, according to the study.
Jim Corgel, general manager ISV and developer relation at IBM, said the survey’s results indicate that technologies such as cloud computing and business analytics are becoming significant part of businesses’ IT strategy.
“The results are clear. Mobile computing, cloud computing, social business and business analytics have gone beyond niche status and are now part of any modern organization’s core IT focus,” Corgel said. “IT professionals who can develop the skills needed to work across these technologies will be ready to meet growing business demand in the coming years.”
Erin Harrison is Executive Editor, Strategic Initiatives, for TMC, where she oversees the company's strategic editorial initiatives, including the launch of several new print and online initiatives. She plays an active role in the print publications and HealthTechZone, covering IP communications, information technology and other related topics. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
