IBM Unveils Watson Orchestrate to Boost Workplace Productivity
IBM introduces Watson Orchestrate, an AI-driven tool that uses natural language to automate routine business tasks. The platform integrates with popular enterprise applications to help professionals reclaim their time without needing IT skills.
IBM introduces Watson Orchestrate, an AI-powered automation tool designed to increase personal productivity for business professionals across departments like sales, human resources, and operations. Users interact with the system using natural language to execute tasks such as scheduling meetings, eliminating the need for any specific IT skills. The tool is currently in preview within IBM Cloud Paks for Automation and is expected to launch as a SaaS offering later in 2021.
The platform seamlessly connects with popular business applications, including Salesforce, SAP, and Workday, as well as standard collaboration tools like email, chat, and calendars. Watson Orchestrate understands and maintains context based on organizational knowledge and prior interactions, allowing it to accurately identify contacts and determine the correct applications to pull data from. For example, a sales director can ask the tool to monitor business opportunities and automatically send alerts or set up meetings when a deal progresses.
This release aligns with a growing industry trend, as a recent IBM survey reveals that 80 percent of companies currently use or plan to implement automation software within the next 12 months. Developed by IBM Research, Watson Orchestrate represents the company's latest effort to help customers adopt hybrid cloud and AI solutions. Early access to the platform arrives in June, placing IBM in direct competition with similar productivity-focused automation tools like Microsoft's Power Platform.