IBM invests $ 3 billion in Internet of Things

“The Internet of Things” is a very rapidly developing technological direction, which involves connecting to the Network a wide range of devices, including refrigerators, industrial systems, fitness trackers and even coffee makers. Management of IBM announced its intention to invest $ 3 billion in the development of the “Internet of Things” division. The project partner was one of the divisions of Weather Co. According to the plan, the company will transfer its weather service to the IBM cloud, which will open up the possibility for customers to receive meteorological information, often of great importance for the business, in real time.

The weather is perhaps one of the main factors influencing (albeit briefly) the implementation of business projects of a large number of companies, including the largest ones. According to some analytical agencies, journals.ametsoc.org/loi/bams, the weather has a very significant impact on various economic sectors. The financial result of such an impact is about $ 500 billion in the United States alone. This is explained by the fact that the model of many types of business is typical, and is repeated day by day. And the weather is a very changeable factor. Thus, if you know about the weather, if not all, then very much, you can save (or earn) substantial funds. Combining meteorological data with business data and large amounts of information IoT will open up broad opportunities for business.
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IoT and cloud technologies will allow collecting data from more than 100,000 weather sensors and meteorological satellites, millions of smartphones, engineering facilities and even cars. WSI’s forecast system collects data from thousands of sources, resulting in the identification of more than 2 billion forecasts worldwide.

When migrating to the IBM Cloud, WSI will be able to accelerate the growth in the number of forecast points, while simultaneously increasing the accuracy of forecasts. In addition, partnering with IBM and the IBM Cloud allows third-party companies to obtain weather data from WSI faster and more fully, including information about rapidly changing weather conditions in different regions of the world. The integration of meteorological data allows you to specify the model of the retail networks, delivery systems and other systems.

There are three key points in this project:

Watson Analytics for Weather : integrates past weather data with real-time weather information. Such information will be useful for insurance, energy companies, retail chains and other business structures.

Cloud and mobile development tools : entrepreneurs and software developers will be able to quickly create the necessary software tools for themselves and their partners. Also, future program members are offered access to Bluemix, the IBM cloud system.

Weather Forecast for Business : Thousands of IBM Global Business Services consultants, by combining weather data with information from other areas, will help businesses more quickly adapt to changing weather conditions in thousands of regions. When creating a business model in a particular country and region, entrepreneurs will take into account the peculiarities of the weather in the area at a certain time.
“It is possible to provide real-time information from the cloud to the company's operating divisions that are of practical value for informed decision-making,” commented Bob Picciano, senior vice president of IBM Analytics.

Currently, as part of a new project, pilot programs are being implemented with companies such as Continental AG, a tire manufacturer, and Pratt & Whitney, a jet engine manufacturer. The corporation is planning to invest $ 3 billion in the next three years in the new project.