More businesses want to glean information from their data, but there is a shortage of resources geared toward non-data-scientists. Enter IBM Watson Analytics.

“Users may have information, but they don’t have insights, and they may not be able to drive those insights into action,” John Colthart, Product Experience and Design for IBM Watson Analytics told theCUBE during IBM Vision. “So when we talk about citizen data scientists, it’s about trying to get all of that capability into the hands of someone who probably has not used this technology before.”

Better understanding data quality

Colthart said that new users can better understand their data’s quality.

“The service interrogates all of the data they bring to the table,” he said. “Most of the time, a professional has some set of data. Watson unpacks that data and applies algorithms to decide what pieces really matter. This gives the user an ability to visualize starting points. The visualization coach can show you a map to represent what you are looking for. One client got an answer in a week’s time that they had been trying to find for six months.”

IBM Watson Analytics aims to transform how and where people work. “Form factor doesn’t matter,” said Colthart. “Now, people want to be able to do voice search and get answers and insights quickly. They want a solution that allows you to ask a question … and the solution suggests information that will matter to your analysis.”

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Vision 2015.