What is our primary use case?
In my role as an integrator, my primary use cases for
IBM Watson Studio involve advanced analytics and predictive analytics for telecommunications, banks, and similar large enterprises. My customers utilize
IBM Watson Studio for data cleansing, prediction, deployment, scoring, and other data science-related tasks.
What is most valuable?
In my experience, AutoML is the most valuable feature of IBM Watson Studio. This capability saves a significant amount of time by automating processes that typically involve manual work, such as data cleaning, feature engineering, and predictive analytics, and it does these efficiently for numerous models at once. Additionally, IBM Watson Studio now includes some generative AI models built in, which is also beneficial.
What needs improvement?
IBM Watson Studio, while powerful, lacks user-friendliness. It is not easy to use, particularly for medium or small enterprises or less experienced staff. Another aspect that requires improvement is the complexity involved in computer vision tasks. The integration capabilities have not significantly impacted workflow since there are simpler tools like
Alteryx and Nine. The platform is associated with a complicated setup process and demands heavy hardware, making it expensive to scale. IBM should work on optimizing the user interface and enhancing the product's accessibility for medium and small enterprises.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with IBM Watson Studio for maybe three to four years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Setting up IBM Watson Studio is a complex, IT-based process that includes tasks such as sizing based on intended use cases, setting up
Kubernetes clusters for scalability, obtaining authorizations from IT teams, and more. The whole deployment process usually takes about a month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
IBM Watson Studio is generally stable, though there are instances where it stalls during large-scale data calculations. Expertise in optimization is necessary to manage such issues effectively.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate IBM Watson Studio seven out of ten for scalability because while it scales, it requires significant resources to do so, making it expensive compared to some competitors. The same tasks could be performed with fewer resources using other products.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for IBM Watson Studio is challenging, with a rating of five. The community access is weak, which limits the ability to engage in discussions and find documentation and examples of similar cases effectively.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Nine and
Alteryx are simpler and more intuitive compared to IBM Watson Studio.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup as six, indicating it is somewhat difficult to set up. It involves a complex, IT-based process which is not straightforward.
What was our ROI?
My customers have seen returns on investment through increased efficiency, automated calculations, improved accuracy in pricing, and reduced staffing needs due to the automation. However, the ROI could be improved considering IBM Watson Studio's cost.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
IBM Watson Studio is considered rather expensive, with a rating of six or seven. The pricing could be optimized relative to the features and capabilities of the product.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Nine and Alteryx are considered better alternatives due to their ease of use.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate IBM Watson Studio overall as a seven. Although IBM Watson Studio has numerous valuable features, it is not user-friendly, especially for medium and small enterprises, and would benefit from improvements in its user interface and user experience.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other