IBM Taps Kubernetes to Unleash Watson Across Clouds

IBM is using Kubernetes to help unleash its Watson artificial intelligence (AI) platform to work across any cloud environment, including private, public, or hybrid multi-cloud environments. This expansion also includes support for cloud ecosystems powered by IBM rivals like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google CloudPlatform (GCP). The move will see Watson applications like Watson Assistant and Watson OpenScale integrated with IBM’s Cloud Private (ICP) for Data and run as microservices using Kubernetes. This will allow for those microservices to be portable across the different infrastructure types and cloud ecosystems. For IBM, the move allows it to broaden the reach of its Watson AI platform. It will also allow organizations to use the Watson platform to help analyze and manage data across all of their data sources. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty during a keynote at this week’s IBM Think event said the move makes Watson “the most open, scalable AI for business in the world.” IBM launched its ICP platform in late 2017. It’s built on a Kubernetes-based container architecture and solidified IBM’s envelopment of Kubernetes. The vendor early last year announced the ICP for Data extension. It allows companies to glean insight from their data resources on their way to supporting enterprise AI services. IBM has since been slowly layering in differentWatson AI capabilities onto the platform, including Watson Speech-to-Text and Watson Assistant last year. The Watson Assistant platform helps developers and non-technical users create conversational AI products, ranging from simple chatbots to complex enterprise-grade products for customer service. Watson OpenScale is IBM’s open AI platform for managing multiple AI instances.