9W Search Integrates IBM's Watson for Natural-Language Queries

In January, IBM launched a business unit to commercialize Watson's technology, which processes information by understanding natural language and performing experience-based learning. IBM then launched the Watson Mobile Developer Challenge, and invited teams to design mobile apps using Watson's cognitive computing capabilities to analyze Big Data.

In response, 9W Search began developing its first 9W-Watson application for the energy sector, which leverages Watson's cognitive capabilities to query its structured and structured financial information on energy companies in 9W's cloud.

9W already enables users to search for structured data─such as historical financial data, real-time stock quotes, company filings, and annual and quarterly financial ratios─on public companies via its web-based platform and the Ask 9W application for tablets and smartphones, which the vendor launched in April.

However, adding the Watson utility into 9W's cloud will enable users to ask natural-language questions that tap into both structured and unstructured data, such as "How many barrels of oil did Shell produce in 2011?" or "What was the revenue of Microsoft in 2006, and who was the CEO?" and "How many Gameboys has Nintendo sold in Asia?"

Initially, the app will cover the energy sector, though the vendor may later extend the app to cover its entire database of US public companies, says 9W chief executive Susan Strausberg.

"Each [sector or] vertical has lots of different kinds of documents that pertain to that vertical. Some are the same across the board, but some are unique to the industry or company," Strausberg says. "We upload the documents to our cloud and then train the Watson tool to know what it is looking for. For example, Watson will identify and recognize 'barrels of energy,' and we will teach it that 'BOE' and 'barrels of energy' are the same thing. The value of Watson to the end user is that whether the data is structured or unstructured, their ability to ask a question is seamless," she adds.

While most professionals are likely to use mobile technology in their personal lives, the use of mobile technology for financial data remains relatively low, Strausberg says, though she expects this to change.

"The vast majority of people need this information, and ultimately the way they access it is going to move in that direction. In the middle of the night when you want to know the position of a company, you can get this information without having to go into the office and turning your Bloomberg on," she says.