From Bloomberg

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is raising its bet on Africa by spending $100 million to bring its Watson technology to the continent.

The world’s biggest computer-services provider plans to introduce Watson, an artificial-intelligence system best known for beating humans on the “Jeopardy!” game show, to government agencies, universities, scientists and other partners in Africa to process socioeconomic information, the company said in a statement. It will also establish a research center to help advance a 10-year IBM initiative to spur development.

The moves are part of an effort by Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty to make the continent into a growth engine for IBM, which has reported seven consecutive quarters of falling revenue. Last year’s 5 percent sales decline in its traditional growth markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China helped drag down total revenue.

In Africa, “we’re getting more partners and we’re helping the economic development,” Solomon Assefa, an IBM researcher, said in an interview. “Africa is really moving forward. We believe that this investment reflects that it’s also a very good business decision.”

Written by Alex Barinka | Read more at Bloomberg