IBM

Published by Daniel at October 2, 2022

International Business Machines Corporation is a multinational technology company devoted to the research, development, and marketing of software and hardware. Despite being designated under its current name since 1924, the original company was founded in 1911 due to the merger of 3 different institutions under the name of Computing-Tabulating-Recording company. The company initially sold and leased a wide variety of machinery, including tabulators and punch cards, that gave it significant revenue during its first three years. Afterward, business expansion led by Thomas J. Watson Sr. in 1914 4-folded its revenue and expanded operations to Europe, South America, Africa, and Australia.(1,2)

This company’s headquarters are located in Armonk, New York, with operations, services, and support in more than 175 countries. Among numerous contributions in management, customer service, and employee engagement, IBM’s slogan “THINK” was Watson’s ideation.(2,3)

Organized company and data

IBM’s structure is divided into several departments, among which the Systems and the Cloud & Cognitive Software are the most involved in developing promising and unconventional products. These include but are not limited to Hybrid Cloud, AI data analytics, specialized teams to develop AI and data sciences strategies for problem-solving as third parties, and one of the most advanced and renowned products, IBM Watson.(4,5,6)

All fronts covered

IBM Watson is an AI system that uses natural language processing, machine learning, information retrieval, speech, text, and image analysis to understand questions and a wide variety of data to provide knowledgeable answers, solutions, and comprehensive metrics.

Initially developed within the open-domain question-answering field, Watson has expanded into many realms. Prebuilt applications such as assistants, language processing tools, and knowledge centers are complemented with solutions for advertising, business operation, human resources, risk management, finances, supply chains, and health. Watson’s Health division has subdivided its services based on seven ultimate end-users/targets: Employers, Health Plans, Government, Imaging, Life Sciences, Oncology, and Providers. This multifocal approach pursues an overall improvement in healthcare by enhancing data standardization, organization, categorization, and management. To do so, IBM Watson uses integrative AI, analytics, cloud, and blockchain services to enhance revenue performance, data-driven decision making, smart administration and distribution of resources, and healthcare delivery and reach. Furthermore, IBM Watson’s ability to work with hybrid clouds makes its implementation feasible.(7,8,9,10,11)

Tools for strengthening every link

IBM Watson Health division has grown exponentially since its beginning in April 2015. This division has fulfilled its primary purpose of providing tools that enable healthcare industry key players to use their data to simplify essential tasks, resulting in faster breakthroughs, improving patients’ experiences worldwide, and targeting physician shortage and burnout. Watson Health understands that quality healthcare results from a multidisciplinary effort; therefore, the solutions are directed to different team members. Some products include IBM Mentor with Watson, which allows health insurance to anticipate employees’ needs and provide insights about which plan would be the best fit for them. Another product is IBM iConnect Enterprise Archive and Access, which stores and manages health images that integrate with patients’ medical records. Furthermore, two of the most famous tools are Watson Oncology Clinical Trial Matching, which enables physicians to find a list of clinical trials for their patients, and Genomics, which tackles the growing need for personalized cancer therapy.(12)

Some products include IBM Mentor with Watson, which allows health insurance to anticipate employees’ needs and provide insights about which plan would be the best fit for them. Another product is IBM iConnect Enterprise Archive and Access, which stores and manages health images that integrate with patients’ medical records. Furthermore, two of the most famous tools are Watson Oncology Clinical Trial Matching, which enables physicians to find a list of clinical trials for their patients, and Genomics, which tackles the growing need for personalized cancer therapy.(12)

United power and united growth

Watson also counts with numerous partnerships in his pocket, from prestigious health centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to analyze breast cancer cases and recommend personalized treatment, Mayo Clinic to improve clinical trials, and Boston Children’s Hospital using AI technology to support OPENPediatrics initiatives that enable the use of medical information with other centers. However, its alliances are not limited to hospitals. IBM also works with other companies and associations, including CVS Health and Johnson and Johnson, to tackle drug development. Apple used Watson Health Cloud to build HealthKit and ResearchKit. Medtronics‘ partnership produced the renowned Sugar.IQ app to manage sugar levels. With these associations, the company is trying to identify new opportunities, nurture collaborations across the health ecosystem, and accelerate healthcare transformation.(13,14)

IBM also works with other companies and associations, including CVS Health and Johnson and Johnson, to tackle drug development. Apple used Watson Health Cloud to build HealthKit and ResearchKit. Medtronics‘ partnership produced the renowned Sugar.IQ app to manage sugar levels. With these associations, the company is trying to identify new opportunities, nurture collaborations across the health ecosystem, and accelerate healthcare transformation.(13,14)

A Wellbeing ID

One of the latest Watson Health projects is the IBM Digital Health Pass. This tool was intended to help organizations during the current public health crisis to have verified health status information, including COVID-19 test results, and enable individuals to return to work, school, or airline flights.

This tool, which uses IBM Blockchain, will also allow for processing this sensitive information encrypted in their smartphone digital wallets to safeguard their privacy and enable individuals to control what they share and with whom.(15)

Casting light on chronic disease research

While Watson Health still has so much to offer to medicine, it discovered one of its most remarkable breakthroughs, five previously unknown RNA-binding proteins associated with ALS, making this a hopeful tool to understand more about this devastating disease.(12)

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