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We don’t usually talk about the tools and technologies that we use to help our clients improve and grow their businesses but a recent announcement by IBM about a new services platform that utilizes artificial intelligence deserves a quick peak behind the curtain. This specific platform is designed for the IT industry, but AI is probably coming to your industry, too, if it isn’t already there.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
In a nutshell, artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a machine to learn and respond on its own. Within AI there are different branches that revolve around what the machine is going to do, and whether it is intended to emulate human reasoning, strictly get a job done, or both.
How is AI used today?
Artificial Intelligence has entered our lives without us even realizing it. Do you use any of these examples of AI at work right now?
- Google Maps – suggests the fastest route
- Mobile check deposits – convert handwriting into text
- Social networking sites – tagging, recognition and personalizing your news feed
- Smart shopping lists – learns about your habits as you use it
- Personal assistants – Siri, Amazon Alexa, Cortana etc.
- Online shopping – makes suggestions based on your behavior
- Music and movie subscription services – makes suggestions based on your behavior
AI and IT Services
The announcement of the new IBM AI platform is especially exciting for our industry because of its goal to minimize IT disruptions. With this technology, potential problems cannot only be discovered and resolved faster, they can actually be predicted and dodged before they even happen. Because technology can only be fully leveraged upon a reliable IT framework, there are important business implications for this evolution of IT tools.
The Costs of IT Disruptions
As we have discovery meetings with executives each week, we hear about their frustrations with the way their businesses are disrupted by IT surprises, and the lack of positive results that they get from their IT investments. They tell us about recurrent downtime that slows employees and annoys customers; security breaches that cost them time, money and trust; and technology costs that go up and down depending upon the latest IT fire that they have to put out.
The Path to IT Predictability
You don’t need to know about AI or technology tools to find the path to IT predictability, but you do need to know how to guide the conversation that you’ll have with potential IT providers. That conversation should revolve around the IT experience and results that you can expect from the relationship, not the tools and services that they’re going to use.
Once you get rid of the daily worry and frustrations that are being caused by the way you’re doing IT, you’ll be able to leverage technology as a key part of your business strategy, and meet your goals for growth, increased profit, and innovation that pushes you ahead of your competition.