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2017 turned out to be a great year for IBM as it had 1900 cloud-technology based patents awarded and recently released an AI optimized chip that has 10 times more bandwidth than the closest competitor. 2018 is looking even better, as IBM is moving forward with cloud growth with a variety of plans when it comes to software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and the hybrid cloud.
Today, we'll look deeper into what IBM has in store with the new patents it plans to utilize as well as an in-depth look into what it plans to do with SaaS, Paas, and the hybrid cloud.
Cloud-Related Patents
IBM had 9,043 patents filed in 2017, focusing in on tech advancements that include cybersecurity, the cloud, quantum computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI). Out of these thousands of patents within the areas of interest mentioned the following are sparking the interest of onlookers, including:
- Cyber Security & AI
IBM has around 2,600 patents in these two areas with cybersecurity utilizing AI in order to entice hackers to lead them down the rabbit-hole expending their resources that more or less give them the runaround. AI is being used for a number of different systems that include intelligent communications with human users; this will enable effortless communications based on measurement of mood and tone. AI will also be used when it comes to a number of other applications to which some being simple to others within the quantum computing realm.
- Blockchain
IBM is making a concerted effort to expand their global footprint through blockchain-based systems. They've recently taken their version of the technology to China, partnering with one of the country's largest retailers, JD.com. The collaboration aims to create a food safety system built upon the blockchain, that would substantially increase the quality and reliability of the nation's food supply. The system would revolutionize the food distribution industry in China, increasing transparency in a cloudy marketplace. Their work could also create a safe opening for those looking to start related businesses in China. With a potential market of 1.4 billion consumers, it represents a tremendous opportunity.
- Quantum Computing
IBM is reaching out to build a 50-Qubit Quantum Computer, which will take computing to a whole new level. To give you some idea, quantum computing will revolutionize medicine through the complexity of molecular chemical interactions and in turn discover new medicines. It will also affect supply chain and logistics by creating ultra-efficient logistics around the globe to optimize fleets anytime. Financial services will be effectively upgraded to make more sound investments along with simplifying blockchain transactions.
IBM Plans for SaaS, PaaS, and the Hybrid Cloud
IBM is transitioning global business over to the cloud and admits that it needed to spend more time developing both SaaS and PaaS. One challenge IBM has is with the VPN and cloud integration, but the benefits for the VPN is important. IBM stated that they made $4.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017 with its services, and are looking to build and integrate both SaaS and PaaS into the cloud as they have around $120 billion in services that need to be integrated.
When it comes to the hybrid cloud, IBM's vision is for big data and analytics. IBM is focusing in on the different applications when it comes to data and analytic capabilities and where it makes the most sense to define the capabilities when placed in the hybrid cloud environment. The end product is the analytic workloads could run more efficiently wherever data is stored with data replication, and integration in mind while providing disaster recovery and network configuration.
Final Thoughts
IBM has filed a lot of different patents and is moving along with the technological trend that is driving markets worldwide. They have a lot of different projects in mind to focus their efforts on, from the hybrid cloud to quantum computing, and it will be exciting to see where we will be in the next few years.
