IBM reorganizes internal team to bridge blockchain and artificial intelligence

IBM is reorganizing its internal blockchain team into a business unit that will focus its efforts around artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The business unit, called Industry Platforms, will be led by Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president of IBM Global Business Services.

Additionally, all of IBM’s blockchain leadership will move to the division as part of the launch of the initiative, which was first announced in September last year.

In addition to researching blockchain technology, the business unit will also lead IBM's initiative to bridge financial services work with Watson artificial intelligence.

IBM CEO and Chairman Ginni Rometty said the move:

"The Industrial Platform business leverages Watson AI, IBM Cloud, IBM Systems, blockchain, deep expertise, and an ecosystem of collaborators and developers to bring fundamentally optimized processes and markets to clients."

“This is an important step in IBM’s increased focus on blockchain,” the company further said.

Building on blockchain research

Based at IBM’s Armonk, New York headquarters, the industry platform will oversee blockchain research and development, in addition to helping to promote open source technology standards toward the stated goal of market adoption.

The new division represents the next phase of IBM’s blockchain push, building on the company’s development of a number of prototypes and its role in the Linux Foundation-led Hyperledger project.

Back in 2015, IBM unveiled one of its earliest blockchain proof-of-concept projects integrating BitTorrent, Ethereum, and TeleHash. The company has been working on Watson AI and distributed ledger technology since then.

In June this year, IBM opened the Watson Center in Marina Bay, Singapore, dedicated to the development of blockchain applications and artificial intelligence.