Anticipation Building over a Smaller Version of IBM's Watson Supercomputer

There is great anticipation developing over a planned mini-version of the Watson supercomputer from IBM (News - Alert).

Best known as the computer which beat human champions on the Jeopardy! TV show, many sectors could envision using smaller versions of the supercomputer.

Some of the required technology, such as making components that are small enough to use for a mini-version, “could take years to develop,” according to a recent report from Information Week.


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Now, Watson requires the energy used to power 6,000 desktop computers, making it too “high-maintenance” for smartphones, TMCnet said. IBM uses 10 racks of its Power750 servers to power Watson.

The smaller version could be used in such sectors as finance, healthcare, IT and telecommunications.

The Watson technology could also find its way into smartphones and be an alternative to Apple’s (News - Alert) Siri – now found in iPhones. Most likely it will be licensed to the mobile device markers. TMCnet added that it will likely be voice activated and able to answer all kinds of questions. It will need voice and image recognition.

The expected rivalry between Watson and Siri may actually be based on how users want to use the technology.

“The aim seems to be for Watson to become an/the expert in a particular field,” according to a recent report.“While Siri remains very much a generalist, Watson gets taught the intricacies of specific subjects, Siri, apart from a little programming of answers, tends to simply interrogate other search engines and databases.”

Watson 2.0 is being developed as the next version, and could be used on smartphones and tablets.

Also, Watson will soon process cancer data for WellPoint, according to news reports. The cancer application will not be in use until at least late 2013. In the health sector, Watson can process human language and medical information, and recommend treatment options to doctors.

In addition, earlier this year Citigroup partnered with IBM to explore possible uses for Watson. It is expected to be used to improve customer interactions and improve banking experiences, according to a company statement.

It took IBM four years to develop Watson. To make it work, researchers provide Watson with answers to relevant questions. It analyzes books, documents and websites at the amazing rate of 66 million pages a second.

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