What is IBM Watson?

Watson is an IBM supercomputer that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated analytical software for optimal performance as a “question answering” machine. The supercomputer is named for IBM’s founder, Thomas J. Watson.


The Watson supercomputer processes at a rate of 80 teraflops (trillion floating-point operations per second). To replicate (or surpass) a high-functioning human’s ability to answer questions, Watson accesses 90 servers with a combined data store of over 200 million pages of information, which it processes against six million logic rules. The device and its data are self-contained in a space that could accommodate 10 refrigerators.

Watson's key components include:

• Apache UIMA (Unstructured Information Management Architecture) frameworks, infrastructure and other elements required for the analysis of unstructured data.

• Apache's Hadoop, a free, Java-based programming framework that supports the processing of    large data sets in a distributed computing environment.

       - SUSE Enterprise Linux Server 11, the fastest available Power7 processor operating system.

• 2,880 processor cores.

       -  15 terabytes of RAM.

• 500 gigabytes of preprocessed information.

IBM'sDeepQA software, which is designed for information retrieval that incorporates natural language processing and machine learning.

API performance...

Web API

What is Web API? API stands for Application Programming Interface. A Web API is an application programming interface for the Web. A Browser API can extend the functionality of a web browser. A Server API can extend the functionality of a web server.

Web API can be hosted only on an Internet Information Service (IIS) or self that supports XML and JSON requests. In contrast, REST API can be hosted only on IIS that supports standardized XML requests.

There are four principal types of API commonly used in web-based applications: public, partner, private and composite.

Web API is a programming interface/application type that provides communication or interaction between software applications. Web API is often used to provide an interface for web sites and client applications to have data access. Web APIs can be used to access data from a database and save data back to the databas

Internal-Partner-Open API

Business Value of OPEN API

 Every API is published with specific business aims in mind and API program managers must ensure these aims drive the interface design process.

1. Increasing Revenue Often an API can be a direct source of revenue. This may involve charging developers for access to the API, facilitating the in-house creation of pay-to-play applications or enabling ecommerce. A key consideration here is that the API must offer something worth paying for.

2. Extending Customer Reach & Value APIs provide the ideal solution for enterprises that wish to reach new customers or increase the value of current customers by offering existing services via new platforms and devices. In these instances, it is vital to consider technical requirements for these new delivery channels.

3. Supporting Sales & Marketing Activities APIs can also help a company to market its products and services, without necessarily becoming involved in how these offerings are delivered. Such an API should enable the creation of the kind of engaging, immersive functionality associated with online marketing best practices.

4. Stimulating Business & Technical Innovation APIs can help an organization develop new systems, offerings and strategies from the inside because they reduce technical barriers to innovation. Specifically, APIs empower organizations to generate and implement ideas without requiring them to change their backend systems.

5. Easing Integration of Backend Data & Applications APIs also play a key integration role in a variety of internal IT projects that impact core business goals. In these projects, it is vital to consider the business event or need driving the integration. For example, the integration may result from a merger or from a new regulatory requirement.

How to make OPEN API to successful?

An open API may be used by internal developers but it is fair to say – in most cases – the success of an open API program will depend on its ability to attract external developers and help them create truly valuable new apps that people actually want to use.

Open API publishers need to engage developers and they need to make sure these developers are successful.

Therefore, for business managers and interface designers alike, the key goal should be to increase both the quantity and quality of API usage. This will mean

  - Targeting a specific dev audience,

  - Delivering an interface and

  - Accompanying documentation designed to meet that audience’s preferences and

  - Conducting targeted outreach/education activities. 

 

Private VS Public(OPEN) API

An open APIs is an interface that has been designed to be easily accessible by the wider population of Web and mobile developers .

This means an open API may be used both
   - by developers inside the organization that published the API  OR 
   - by any developers outside that organization who wish to register for access to the interface.

An open API publisher is usually seeking to leverage the ever-growing community of free-agent app developers.

This will allow the organization to stimulate development of innovative apps that add value to its core business, without investing directly in development efforts – it simultaneously
  - Increases the production of new ideas and
  - Decreases dev costs.