As the usage of cognitive computing and deep learning becomes more tenable, exploring and defining the possibilities these utilities can offer enterprises across the range of industries is becoming a big-money field.

On the last day of the IBM World of Watson 2016 event in Las Vegas, NV, Dave Vellante (@dvellante) and John Furrier (@furrier), co-hosts of theCUBE*, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, sat down to go through the details of what had been presented at the conference and how the market would respond to the changes at IBM Corp.

New and evolved

Almost immediately, the hosts dove into examining those changes at IBM, which Furrier typified as “new blood, new people [and a] new vibe. They’re not holding back at all, they’re all in.”

Also highlighted was the idea of “World with Watson” in contrast to the “World of Watson,” a distinction made by IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Ginni Rometty in her keynote address, with the division between Watson and social media data usage being that social media outright owns that personal data, while Watson will simply engage with it.

Vellante pointed out how far Watson has come in the public perception, recalling how “at the time we saw the Jeopardy! challenge … [we] thought it was kind of a niche thing. Little did we know that it would become the company.” (The Watson platform actually competed on the quiz show Jeopardy! in 2011.)

Both hosts held Rometty’s presentation in high regard, with Vellante saying, “Super, super impressed with what she did today.” Furrier said, “This is what the IBMers in the company need to hear … that they’re not going to ‘Watson-wash’ everything and keep it the same; but that they’re actually making changes.”

Personal effects

With these changes within IBM, the market will find big shifts of its own arriving.

“All the things that they’re talking about affect individuals, not just the industry,” Furrier noted. “They’re going down to the individual level, and it’s not just tech. They’re talking about education, healthcare.”

Vellante agreed, pointing out, “Everybody’s in technology business today.” But he felt that the main point made by the event’s speakers effectively came down to the idea that “IBM is all about AI for business … and it’s all about embedding cognitive into your business. … IBM’s standing up and saying, ‘We’re changing the world.’”

To Furrier, the tool that IBM will be using for that change is clear. “Bluemix is now the brand,” he said. “Bluemix can change the game, and Watson is driving a lot of Bluemix action right now.” At the same time, he felt that “they’ve got to incubate this [Watson action].”

Transformations and holdings

Another point touched on was IBM’s financial situation, with its buying-back of stocks being a key aspect. “Buying your stock back if it’s undervalued is a smart move,” Vellante said. “The question becomes: Will revenue growth occur … and will that reduce or eliminate the need to buy back stock?”

But Furrier felt confident in IBM’s future, saying, “I think what’s going to die are the people who aren’t innovating. IBM has a ton of cash and a ton of customers. They’re not going anywhere.”

Moving through the topics of IoT security, the rise of the “sharing economy” exemplified by Airbnb and Uber, and the importance of Watson’s IBM cloud exclusivity, the hosts saw challenges, but also, as Vellante put it, “massive opportunities for IBM.”

“I think it’s going to be very interesting to see it all play out,” Furrier said. “Cognitive’s the key message.”

Watch the complete video interview, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM World of Watson 2016.

*Disclosure: IBM and other companies sponsor some IBM World of Watson segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither IBM nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.

Photo by SiliconANGLE