IBM and AWS strengthen alliance to propel generative AI solutions across critical use cases

IBM announced a significant expansion of its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to empower mutual clients in unlocking the full potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This strategic move involves IBM Consulting’s commitment to deepen generative AI expertise on AWS, aiming to train 10,000 consultants by the end of 2024.

Generative AI, identified as a transformative force in Africa, has garnered attention for its ability to drive productivity. According to IBM’s recent report, “CEO Decision-Making in the Age of AI,” 69% of African CEOs recognise the broad benefits of generative AI across their organisations. In the Middle East, 43% of CEOs are actively leveraging generative AI for strategic decision-making.

There’s more pressure to accelerate AI adoption than to slow it down.

IBM Consulting and AWS, already serving clients in various industries, are elevating their offerings by incorporating generative AI capabilities into joint solutions designed for critical use cases. Specific solutions include:

1. Contact Center Modernisation with Amazon Connect: This collaboration enhances voice and digital interaction functions, enabling seamless transitions between chatbots and live agents. Summarisation and categorisation functions expedite resolution times and improve quality management.
2. Platform Services on AWS: The integration of generative AI capabilities enhances business serviceability and availability for applications hosted on AWS. Intelligent issue resolution and observability techniques improve uptime and meantime repair, allowing clients to swiftly address potential issues.
3. Supply Chain Ensemble on AWS: This upcoming offering introduces a virtual assistant to accelerate the work of supply chain professionals, focusing on delivering customer expectations, optimising inventories, reducing costs, streamlining logistics, and assessing supply chain risks.

IBM Consulting also plans to integrate AWS generative AI services into its proprietary IBM Consulting Cloud Accelerator to facilitate cloud transformation, including reverse engineering, code generation, and code conversion for clients looking to modernise on AWS.

To fortify their expertise, IBM Consulting is committed to training and skilling 10,000 consultants on AWS generative AI services by the end of 2024. This initiative includes an exclusive, partner-only program providing training on top use cases and best practices for client engagement with AWS generative AI services.

Bill Farrell, Managing Partner at IBM Consulting in MEA, emphasised the commitment to delivering cutting-edge generative AI solutions. “Through joint solutions, dedicated AWS training, and the integration of IBM watsonx, we are empowering businesses in the region to harness the full potential of responsible AI, fostering innovation and driving business transformation with a human-centric approach.”

IBM is also responding to client demand by making watsonx.data, a fit-for-purpose data store, available on AWS as a fully managed SaaS solution. The company plans to make watsonx.ai and watsonx.governance available on AWS by 2024, further easing clients’ access to IBM data, AI, and security software on the AWS platform.

Yasser Hassan, Head of AWS in Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, highlighted the milestone in bringing advanced AI capabilities to businesses across the Middle East. “AWS is proud to be at the forefront of shaping the future of AI in the Middle East, providing businesses with the tools they need to thrive in the digital age.”

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