Watson Weekly: More on the Weather Channel
December 21, 2015
IBM owns the Weather Company data, not the TV show. The write up “The Future of Cognitive Computing Is Now: Advanced Analytics Is Already Saving Lives and Driving Efficiencies at Airbus and The Weather Company” is an interesting IBM Watson content marketing effort.
When IBM bought the flagging Weather Company, I was curious how the tie up would fly. This article explains that the duo are performing some pretty serious good deeds; for example, saving lives. The argument is interesting to those who want airlines to be more efficient in ways beyond treating customers like cattle and feeding them meals which are very similar to what is in Old Yeller dog food.
The airline angle is explained this way:
The Weather Company utilizes the connected sensors of aircraft from over 200 airlines (which adds up to a combined total of over 50,000 flights a day) to measure atmospheric pressure and wind speed. Drones and even smart phones are used to take measurements closer to the ground, while satellites collect data from high above the globe. This amounts to a vast amount of data, Kenny explains.
The data help pilots avoid turbulence.
Also the write up explains:
Harnessing the power of the IoT and cognitive computing isn’t just about saving lives, important as that is. That data is analyzed to provide better customer services, something that Laurent Martinez aims to do at Airbus by improving digital operations in two ways. “First is what I call gate-to-gate operations… There’s also a second, productivity-boosting goal that comes with connected aircraft: allowing passengers to use the internet while on flights, something which would be especially useful for long haul.
My take on this deal with IBM is that the Watson tendrils are being hydroponically force fed into business niches.
Will these tendrils take root and flourish? Will these tendrils die and be absorbed into the datasphere? IBM is betting big money that from a tiny acorn, giant Watson revenues will grow.
Great idea. We have to wait to find out what Mother Nature does. I would not try to fool Mother Nature or stakeholders when revenue is involved.
Stephen E Arnold, December 21, 2015
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