IBM lands Watson IoT contracts in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands
Technology giant IBM has landed three new clients for its Watson IoT service in Europe. Spanish electricity grid operator Red Eléctrica de España, Italian elderly care provider Cooperativa Sole, and Dutch telecommunications operator Tele2 have all committed to using IBM’s cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) technology platform as they embrace connectivity in their digital ambitions.
The convergence of several new technologies is lifting the Internet of Things to new heights. Smart devices connected to the internet and other devices are reinventing the way consumers live their lives and businesses run their operations – the potential of IoT is touted as one of the next major disruptors in the technology landscape. According to one estimate, by strategic consultancy McKinsey & Company, the total economic benefit of Internet of Things could hit up to $11 trillion by 2025, which would in that year equate to a staggering ~10% of the globe’s GDP.
Connecting devices such as environmental sensors, wearables, machinery in factories or devices in homes, buildings or cars for instance, builds on complex software infrastructures, including systems and applications that facilitate processes such as information exchange, but also data analysis and security. One of the largest players in the realm, IBM, supports hundreds of clients globally with IoT landscapes and software through its Watson IoT suite of solutions. Among the firm’s client base are elevator manufacturer Kone, household appliances player Whirlpool, French national railway company SNCF, and three companies that more recently joined the firm’s roster: Red Eléctrica de España, Cooperativa Sole and Tele2.
Three new clients in Europe
Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the sole transmission agent and operator of the national electricity system in Spain, has selected IBM Watson IoT technologies as part of its Intelligent Asset Management initiative project. The electricity system operator’s objective is to plan and optimise the maintenance and replacement activities of their strategic transmission assets (like substations and transmission lines) with the support of the IBM Watson IoT platform.The deal comes against a backdrop of growing pressure for large asset-heavy companies, such as utilities, to transform their assets portfolio. Many of Europe’s largest utilities companies have an ageing infrastructure, and are therefore facing major asset management replacement questions: how to best maintain assets? When to replace them? And what strategy is optimal in terms of costs, safety and service?
Through using IBM’s Watson IoT solution, Red Eléctrica de España will gain better insight in the state of assets and operations, allowing for the design of enhanced optimisation plans and asset degradation models. A team of IBM Global Business Services (GBS) – the firm’s consulting arm – is currently working with REE on the implementation of the platform.
Sole Co-operativa, an Italian elderly care provider and provider of assisted living facilities, has implemented IBM Watson IoT at Oasi Serena, its residence in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna on Italy’s Adriatic Coast. In a pilot project, a variety of ambient and wearable sensors that detect the motion, heart rate, location and more of each resident have been installed throughout the facility, collecting and analysing data that is turned into insights which are used to alert nursing staff in real-time when residents' daily activity deviates from the norm. This way, nurses can easily prioritise visits to residents who are in urgent need of assistance, day and night.
According to IBM’s engagement team for Sole Co-operativa, the IoT-based solution has already increased operational efficiencies by 15% to 20%. “Caregivers are now increasingly more able to focus on core tasks. In addition, these new data insights enable Sole Co-operativa to reduce risk factors and improve personalised patients' assistance,” said a spokesperson of the firm.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, telecommunications provider Tele2 has used IBM’s platform to build a new self-service app for its customers. The app was launched across the company’s customer base after a pilot showed that 82% of the users embraced the app’s functionality and value-added. The app allows customers to ask the app questions about their account, mobile plan, data usage and allowance as well as upgrades through a chat function. Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning – powered by IBM Watson Assistant – Tele2’s app is capable of becoming smarter every day.
Last year IBM’s Watson IoT Platform was named a leader in the market for IoT software and solutions. “Cognitive analytics, innovative technologies and the ability to help transform organisations help place Watson ahead of the competition,” explained IDC’s chief researcher for the benchmark study.