Cognitive systems need to continue to increase in scalability to support wide applicability. In 2011, the version of IBM’s Watson system that beat the reigning champion on the U.S. television game show Jeopardy! required 90 IBM Power 750 servers. By January 2014, Watson was 24 times faster, had a 2,400 percent improvement in performance and was 90 percent smaller.14 In the future, cognitive systems may be offered as a fabric.

IBM has already made its Watson technology available as a development platform in the cloud, which is spurring innovation and fueling a new ecosystem of entrepreneurial software application providers.15 WayBlazer, a travel inspiration, recommendation and planning platform that provides consumers with more personalized, relevant and valuable information, is one example of a partner realizing value in this ecosystem model.

WayBlazer uses a standards-based cognitive cloud powered by IBM Watson technology to recommend targeted travel insights and commerce offers that are tailored and customized for each consumer’s experience.