Cognos: Now Transforming Business After Only 50 Years

May 3, 2019

It is 1969, and Cognos officially opened for business. That was a half century ago. Over the years, Cognos in its 50 years of “transformation” has absorbed a number of other technologies. Anyone remember Databeacon, the mid market analytics outfit. Cognos strikes me as an umbrella brand. According to CIO’s article “5 Ways IBM Cognos Analytics Is Transforming Business,” IBM’s Cognos Analytics has integrated the artificial intelligence capabilities of IBM Watson Analytics.

Okay, 50 years, much thrashing, and IBM is not on a part with the zippier outfits like DataRobot’s Eureqa. The idea of transforming is interesting, but I am not sure I buy into what looks to me like an example IBM marketing and PR. Sorry, CIO. I am just as suspicious as my neighbors here in Harrod’s Creek.

Here are the transforming things:

  1. Maximizing charitable donations (No, I am not kidding.)
  2. Optimizing retail operations with purchasing analytics. (What about Amazon’s data for merchants?)
  3. Leveraging data to maximize fan engagement. (No, I am not making this up.)
  4. Predicting audience viewing preferences.
  5. Deploying data science to keep salmon healthy. (Watson may not be a winner in the cancer thing, but it appears to work on fish.)

After 50 years, the write up points to these examples or use cases as transformational. Amazing.

Eureka may not capture what Cognos with Watson can deliver. The experience, however, could cause DataRobot’s phone to ring.

PS. What’s even more amazing, one of the DarkCyber team had to register to read what is marketing collateral. Interesting.

Stephen E Arnold, May 3, 2019

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