IBM Gives Partners Access To Three New AI Libraries

The new libraries bring natural language processing, speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities for partners to add to applications for any hybrid, multi-cloud environment, says Monica Aggarwal, vice president of IBM’s ISV Build ecosystem and technology partnerships.

IBM has released new artificial intelligence libraries that aim to help IBM partners, customers and developers build AI-powered services and bring them to market.

The Armonk, N.Y.-based tech giant’s three new AI libraries, now generally available, combine innovation from IBM Research and open-source technology to bring natural language processing, speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities for partners to add to applications for any hybrid, multi-cloud environment, Monica Aggarwal, vice president of IBM’s ISV Build ecosystem and technology partnerships, told CRN.

Aggarwal said this expanded AI access will help MSPs, MSSPs and other similar partners accelerate AI adoption.

“We’ve taken feedback from the partners, we’ve listened to them, we’ve worked on our strategy and we said, ‘You know what? Let’s build something that is a very consumable fit,’” Aggarwal said. “A simple, easy, flexible form factor of libraries for you to embed into a solution. And we have a great program for building with you, going to market with you—let’s take it and win in the market.”

[RELATED: IBM CEO: AI, Hybrid Cloud The ‘Most Transformational Enterprise Technologies’]

What has IBM done for AI?

Nalit Patel, CEO of All Solutions, a Livingston, N.J.-based IBM partner, told CRN that he likes IBM investing in cutting-edge technology, including AI.

He said he also likes the greater investment in IBM’s partner program.

“They are becoming more channel-friendly,” Patel said.

The libraries, meanwhile, give partners access to the same AI libraries that power IBM Watson products, according to IBM. Developers and IT teams can embed the new libraries into their applications and make custom products without data science expertise, lowering the barrier to AI adoption.

One of the libraries, IBM Watson Natural Language Processing Library, is used for processing human language and figuring out meaning, content, intention and sentiment, according to the vendor.

IBM Watson Speech to Text Library is used for speech transcription for customer service. And IBM Watson Text to Speech library is used for converting written text into natural-sounding audio in a variety of languages and voices in an application.

Earlier this month, during IBM’s latest quarterly earnings call, IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna called AI and hybrid cloud “the two most transformational enterprise technologies of our time” and has called partners with various business models “a crucial element of our strategy” for winning customers.

IBM has also been on a spree of acquisitions to build its AI capabilities along with innovation from within the company. Recent AI-related acquisitions include Databand.ai, Waeg and Neudesic.