By: Evan Burnham, '21
Earlier this week, technology companies IBM and Apple announced a collaboration that will make it easier for app developers and businesses to utilize machine learning. Both companies already have Machine Learning platforms, IBM with Watson and Apple with Core ML, each with separate strengths and weaknesses. By combining the two platforms, the companies are attempting to create a system that combines the best of both platforms, and results in more accurate, intelligent machine learning applications.This collaboration between IBM and Apple is not spontaneous. The companies have been collaborating on multiple projects for about four years, with IBM providing business analytics and data, and Apple providing design techniques and iOS platforms to run apps on. The newly announced collaboration will operate similarly: developers will build machine learning models using data provided by Watson, and then they will convert these machine learning models into applications using Apple’s Core ML (TechCrunch). The conversion from Watson to Core ML will allow apps that utilize machine learning to run on iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads, while also allowing developers to access the vast amount of data provided by the Watson system. In the announcement of the collaboration, the two companies also announced a new cloud system that will allow iOS applications to share data with Watson, which will help apps fine-tune their machine learning algorithms and improve over time (Forbes). The cloud connection between Watson and Core ML is perhaps the most important aspect of this partnership. This is because while other companies have provided platforms for mobile machine learning development, none have provided a platform that allows mobile app data to be shared in real time in order to train machine learning algorithms (Forbes). This part of the partnership is what will likely make it a popular platform for business app development, as well as apps for industries that create and consume large amounts of data, like the healthcare industry. As far as business strategy goes, this partnership may foreshadow an increased focus on software for Apple and an attempt by IBM to reach a wider customer base (Fortune). IBM has always stood at the forefront of business analytics and business data, but through this partnership with Apple they will reach a wider base of customers that have previously not interacted with Watson technology. Apple has a large advantage in hardware development and design, and in order to stay at the top of the technology industry they need to ensure that iOS keeps up with improvements in software, and this partnership helps them do just that. Overall, this partnership will help both companies expand their customer bases, and provide a new platform for machine-learning powered mobile apps. Sources:https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/apple-ibm-extend-partnership-with-watson-core-ml-coupling/https://www.forbes.com/sites/tiriasresearch/2018/03/20/apple-partners-with-ibm-for-mobile-machine-learning/#6719b02e25a7http://fortune.com/2018/03/20/apple-ibm-artificial-intelligence/Image Source:https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/16/5904433/ibm-is-apples-simplest-solution-to-selling-more-ipads