IBM watsonX ai

Service scope

Software add-on or extension: Yes
What software services is the service an extension to: In IBM Watson Assistant, which is part of Watsonx.ai, you can extend the capabilities of your virtual assistant chatbot through add-ons and extensions. These allow you to integrate various functionalities and services that aren't built into the core platform.
Cloud deployment model: Public cloud

Private cloud

Community cloud

Hybrid cloud
Service constraints: Data Quality and Bias: Like many AI models, Watsonx.ai's performance heavily relies on the quality and balance of the data used to train its models.

Limited Explainability: Watsonx.ai can still be challenging to fully explain how complex AI models arrive at their decisions.

Cost Considerations: While Watsonx.ai aims to streamline AI development, the costs associated with hardware, software, and data storage can add up, especially for large-scale deployments.

Technical Expertise: While Watsonx.ai offers user-friendly features, effectively leveraging its full potential might still require some level of technical expertise or data science skills within your team.
System requirements: No specific hardware requirements for the SaaS model

Ensure your internet connection has sufficient bandwidth

User support

Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
Support response times: The software is supported by the SaaS product vendor in addition to add on support from WM Promus. Our support services have embedded Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that stipulate the required response times. Our standard support offering is Mon-Fri, 9 to 5. On request, we provide weekend support. Response times vary depending on incident and request priority but all fall within 1 working day.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
Phone support: Yes
Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Web chat support: No
Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
Support levels: The software is supported by the SaaS product vendor in addition to add on support from WM Promus. We provide comprehensive support for cloud-based and on premise services. This includes helping you choose the right cloud platform, migrating your applications, and ongoing maintenance. We also offer expert guidance on security, scalability, and performance optimization. Our goal is to ensure your cloud environment runs smoothly so you can focus on your core business. We offer a service where we act as a conduit between clients and vendors or hosting providers in addition to being the first point of contact should an incident occur. We operate a world-class servicedesk and follow ITIL best practice to deliver the service support. Our support services have embedded Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that stipulate the required response times. Our standard support offering is Mon-Fri, 9 to 5. On request, we provide weekend support. Response times vary depending on incident and request priority but all fall within 1 working day. Pricing is dependent on the level of support required. All clients are assigned a technical account manager.
Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started: Getting Started Tutorials: IBM provides a variety of tutorials on its documentation website (https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/watsonx-as-a-service?topic=getting-started) that guide you through the core functionalities and steps involved in building and deploying AI models. These tutorials cover aspects like data preparation, model training, and using the AI Studio interface.

Overall, IBM provides a combination of free resources, tutorials, code samples, and community support to help users get started with Watsonx.ai and explore its potential for building various AI applications.
Service documentation: Yes
Documentation formats: PDF
End-of-contract data extraction: Cloud-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service):

> Limited Data Export: IBM's documentation mentions limitations on data export for the cloud-based SaaS model after your contract terminates https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?topic=watsonxdata-getting-started. While specific details might be outlined in your contract, it's likely you won't be able to export everything.

> Download Before Termination: It's crucial to download all essential project data, models, and training results before your contract ends. The AI Studio interface should allow you to download this data in formats compatible for use with other tools.

>Contact IBM Support: Reach out to IBM Cloud support for clarification on your specific data export rights after contract termination based on your plan. They can guide you through any available options.
End-of-contract process: Cloud-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service):

> Service Termination: Your access to the Watsonx.ai platform and its functionalities will be terminated. This means you won't be able to use AI Studio, train models, or leverage any cloud-based resources offered by the service.

> Data Limitations: As per IBM's documentation, exporting all your data might be restricted after termination. It's best to download essential project data, models, and training results before your contract ends. The AI Studio interface should allow data downloads in compatible formats.

> Contact IBM Support: It's crucial to clarify your specific data export rights with IBM cloud support. They can explain your options based on your plan and guide you through the download process.

Using the service

Web browser interface: Yes
Supported browsers: Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Chrome

Safari

Opera
Application to install: No
Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service: There aren't necessarily inherent differences between the mobile and desktop experience when using chatbots built with IBM watsonX Ai. The core functionalities and features remain the same. Overall, while the core chatbot experience remains consistent, expect some adjustments in UI, interaction methods, and possibly even available features due to the inherent differences between mobile and desktop devices.
Service interface: Yes
User support accessibility: None or don’t know
Description of service interface: IBM watsonX Ai offers several service interfaces depending on how you want to interact with it: 1. Web Browser Interface 2. APIs 3. Command Line Interface 4. Pre-built Integrations In summary, IBM watsonX Ai provides a web browser interface for development and management, APIs for programmatic control, and potentially a CLI for advanced users. There might also be pre-built integrations for specific platforms. The choice of interface depends on your technical expertise and the nature of your interaction with watsonX Ai.
Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
Description of accessibility: IBM watsonX Ai documentation strives to meet accessibility standards to ensure users with disabilities can access information effectively. 1. Standards: The documentation mentions following the latest W3C Standard, WAI-ARIA 1.0, for accessibility (https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.0/). WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications) helps developers build more accessible web content and applications. 2. Compliance: The documentation also states that it follows US Section 508 Standards and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to achieve compliance (https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/).
Accessibility testing: N/A
API: Yes
What users can and can't do using the API: The IBM Watson AI API allows developers to programmatically interact with the platform to build and manage chatbots. Here's a breakdown of what users can and can't do: What Users Can Do: Set Up the Service: > Create new workspaces (environments for building chatbots) > Train chatbots with dialog data (questions, user prompts, and corresponding responses) > Define intents (user goals) and entities (specific pieces of information) > Configure dialog flows (how the chatbot interacts with users) Integrate the chatbot with various channels (messaging apps, websites, etc.) > Manage user authentication for secure chatbot access Make Changes: >Update existing workspaces and chatbot functionalities > Add, remove, or modify training data (questions, responses) > Modify intents and entities to improve chatbot understanding > Update dialog flows to refine conversation paths > Change chatbot integration settings for different channels > Manage user roles and permissions Limitations of the API: > Using the Watson AI API effectively requires knowledge of programming languages and API functionalities. > Some actions, like building complex dialog flows or integrating with intricate back-end systems, might require advanced programming skills. > The API primarily focuses on the chatbot's logic and functionalities.
API documentation: Yes
API documentation formats: HTML

PDF
API sandbox or test environment: Yes
Customisation available: Yes
Description of customisation: IBM Watson AI offers various customization options to tailor chatbots to specific needs and brand identities. What can be customized: > Dialog Flows: Define conversation paths and chatbot responses based on user input. > Intents and Entities: Train the chatbot to recognize user goals (intents) and extract specific information (entities) from their queries. > Actions: Integrate with external services to perform tasks (e.g., booking appointments, retrieving data). > Response Style: Adjust the tone, formality, and voice of the chatbot's responses to match your brand or target audience. > Conversational Quirks: Incorporate specific phrases or greetings to personalize the chatbot's interactions. >Integration Platform: The platform where the chatbot is deployed How Users can Customize: > Web Browser Interface: The primary method for customization is through the Watson Assistant web browser console. > API: For advanced users, the Watson Assistant API allows programmatic control over various aspects. Who can Customize: > Developers: Developers with programming knowledge can leverage the full range of customization options, including both the web interface and API. > Non-technical Users: Non-technical users might be able to perform basic customizations through the web interface.

Scaling

Independence of resources: IBM offers several mechanisms to help ensure users aren't significantly affected by the demand other users place on the Watsonx.ai service, particularly for the cloud-based SaaS model. Here's how they achieve this:

> Resource Allocation

> Service Tiers

> Autoscaling

> Quotas and Limits

Analytics

Service usage metrics: Yes
Metrics types: IBM Watsonx.ai offers service usage metrics to help you track and manage your resource consumption. Here's a breakdown of what's available:

Metrics Types:

> Compute Usage: This metric measures the resource usage associated with running jobs, notebooks, experiments, and deployments. It's calculated based on the rate for the chosen runtime environment and its active duration (essentially, the processing power and time used).

> Model Evaluation and Explanation Usage: If you use Watsonx. Governance for model evaluations and explanations, you'll incur resource consumption based on your service plan. This usage is measured in "resource units," a metric specific to these functionalities.
Reporting types: Real-time dashboards

Regular reports

Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type: Reseller providing extra support
Organisation whose services are being resold: IBM

Staff security

Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: No
Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
Penetration testing approach: In-house
Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with another standard
Data sanitisation process: No
Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach: Cloud-based SaaS:

> Limited Export: Documentation suggests limitations on exporting all your data after contract termination https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?topic=watsonxdata-getting-started.

> Download Before Termination: It's crucial to download essential project data, models, and training results before your contract ends using the AI Studio interface. These downloads should be in formats compatible with other tools.

> Contact IBM Support: Contact IBM Cloud support for clarification on your specific data export rights after termination based on your plan.
Data export formats: CSV

ODF
Data import formats: CSV

ODF

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: Other
Other protection between networks: BM utilizes several security measures to protect data transfer between your network and their network when using Watsonx.ai, particularly for the cloud-based SaaS model:

Secure Communication Protocols
Firewalls and Access Controls
Data Encryption
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Compliance Certifications
Data protection within supplier network: Other
Other protection within supplier network: Here's how these measures work together:

1/ Secure Communication: When you transfer data to or from Watsonx.ai, the data is encrypted using HTTPS, making it unreadable during transmission.

2/Firewalls and Access Controls: Once the data reaches IBM's network, firewalls filter and restrict access based on security policies.

3/Data Encryption: The data might be further encrypted at rest within IBM's secure storage infrastructure.

4/ Identity and Access Management: Only authorized users with the correct permissions can access and manage your data within the Watsonx.ai platform.

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability: Based on general cloud service practices and the information available, here's what we can expect:

Potential Availability:

>High Availability: Cloud platforms like IBM Cloud typically strive for high availability for their services. This means the service is operational for a very high percentage of time, with minimal downtime.

>Uptime Guarantees: Your specific service tier within IBM Cloud might offer uptime guarantees outlined in your contract. These guarantees could be financially backed, meaning you might receive compensation for downtime exceeding the agreed-upon threshold.

Recommendations for Users:

>Understanding Your Needs: Assess your specific needs for service availability. If consistent uptime is crucial for your operations, consider negotiating an SLA with specific uptime guarantees when discussing your service plan with IBM.

>Monitoring Service Status: IBM Cloud offers tools to monitor service health and identify potential disruptions. Staying informed about these notifications can help you prepare for or mitigate any potential impact on your projects.

>Disaster Recovery Plan: Having a disaster recovery plan in place can help you minimize downtime and ensure business continuity in case of unforeseen outages.
Approach to resilience: Please find relevant information on the IBM Cloud website: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs
Outage reporting: Email alerts

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed: Yes
User authentication: 2-factor authentication

Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)

Limited access network (for example PSN)

Dedicated link (for example VPN)

Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: These settings are for the customer discretion. We recommend connecting to customer’s SSO/SAML provider, enabling Multi-Factor authentication.
Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication

Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)

Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)

Limited access network (for example PSN)

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
CSA STAR certification: No
PCI certification: No
Cyber essentials: Yes
Cyber essentials plus: Yes
Other security certifications: No

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
Security governance certified: No
Security governance approach: WM Promus have a named board-level person responsible for service security. WM Promus conducts annual reviews of its policies around the delivery of SAAS, and all services and undertakes a 3rd party annual cybersecurity assessment in accordance with the government national cybersecurity program, thus WM Promus maintains cybersecurity essentials certification. WM Promus regularly re-evaluates and updates its information and physical security program as the industry evolves, new technologies emerge or new threats are identified.
Information security policies and processes: WM Promus have in place security policies related to: Acceptable Encryption and Key Management Policy Acceptable Use Policy Clean Desk Policy Data Breach Response Policy Disaster Recovery Plan Policy Personnel Security Policy Data Backup Policy User Identification, Authentication, and Authorization Policy Incident Response Policy End User Encryption Key Protection Policy Risk Assessment Standards and Procedures Remote Access Policy Secure Systems Management Policy Monitoring and Logging Policy Change Management Policy In addition, WM Promus have a named board-level person responsible for service security.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach: WM Promus conduct a structured approach (supported by version control tools) to releases. There is a rigorous testing process prior to all releases (supported by tools such as vulnerability scanners within version control tools) to ensure mitigation of security risks. WM Promus adopt industry best practice (ITIL) in addition to DevOps best practices relating to configuration and change management.
Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
Vulnerability management approach: WM Promus conduct a structured approach (supported by version control tools) to releases. There is a rigorous testing process prior to all releases (supported by tools such as vulnerability scanners within version control tools) to ensure mitigation of security risks.
Protective monitoring type: Undisclosed
Protective monitoring approach: WM Promus conduct a structured approach (supported by version control tools) to releases. There is a rigorous testing process prior to all releases (supported by tools such as vulnerability scanners within version control tools) to ensure mitigation of security risks. Scanning tools feedback ensures that WM Promus respond immediately upon vulnerability awareness.
Incident management type: Undisclosed
Incident management approach: WM Promus adhere to industry best practice (ITIL) for Incident Management. In terms of communication, WM Promus can be contacted by telephone and email. Escalations and communications including updates are accessible via email and phone.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

Fighting climate change
Covid-19 recovery
Tackling economic inequality
Equal opportunity
Wellbeing

Fighting climate change

Data Center Optimization - WMPromus adopt a green approach in terms of virtualization and consolidation of servers; optimize resource utilization, reduce physical servers, & lower energy consumption. Annually, WM Promus reviews the IT estate and plans for increased optimization. For clients, WMPromus conduct reviews of client environments and provide recommendations for migrating to a ‘greener cleaner’ landscape. Cloud Computing and Green Hosting - As part of our Cloud & DevOps line of business, WM Promus provide consultancy services related to transitioning to cloud computing services. WM Promus discusses with clients the option to choose green hosting providers that prioritize renewable energy sources for their data centers. Paper-Free Commitment - WM Promus encourage a ‘paper-free’ approach. At all project ‘kickoffs’, discussions on ‘ways-of-working’ encourage printers and printer ink cartridges minimum usage and commit to using online collaboration tools. Travel if necessary- WM Promus promotes a ‘travel if necessary’ policy. The majority of our work is conducted remotely, and our engineers are encouraged to only travel if the client has requested them onsite or if the project work requires an onsite presence. Our training is in virtual classrooms and only in person on request. Our pricing is varied depending on whether an onsite engineer is required, or remote working is suitable; with remote working more favourable for clients financially. This encourages clients to also adopt a ‘travel if necessary’ policy. End-User Devices - WM Promus requests all engineers and employees to adopt power management procedures. WM Promus recycles laptops and other IT devices. There is a strong focus on maintaining equipment and fixing component parts when they break instead of buying entirely new products. WM Promus properly disposes of obsolete electronic equipment being aware of the potentially dangerous chemicals non-designated recycling centers or disposal companies release to the environment.

Covid-19 recovery

Critically, WM Promus provide pricing that offers substantial discounts to public sector organisations. In addition, we enable remote work; our services empower organizations to increase remote work capabilities. This promotes social distancing and reduces the risk of transmission while ensuring business continuity. Boosting Collaboration: Features like video conferencing, secure file sharing, and real-time communication tools within our services and project delivery approaches foster collaboration across dispersed teams.

Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality - WM Promus create opportunities for entrepreneurship and help new organisations to grow, tackling economic inequality, supporting economic growth and business creation. WM Promus provides free TED talks about technology advances and how they can help start-up businesses and SME’s to scale up and grow. We host these onsite (and virtually) at our serviced offices where there is a large community of SMEs. These TED talks are free to attend (either in person or virtually). For example, our TED talk “Curious about Artificial Intelligence - Will it help you or replace you?” provided answers to questions such as “What AI solutions can I use to help me in my current role?“ . The feedback on these sessions is that they significantly benefit SMEs who attend with valuable insights into AI tools (that are free) and can be leveraged for innovation and efficiency. WM Promus offer opportunities for work experience or similar activities. WM Promus provides quality secondary-school work-experience placements designed to provide students with practical, hands-on experience in the field of IT consultancy. The school with whom we engage has over two thirds of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, over half of the pupils eligible for pupil premium, and a pupil’s attainment at entry level significantly below the national average. Our placements aim to allow students to develop technical skills, gain exposure to professional work environments, and explore potential career paths within the IT sector.

Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity - WM Promus have a robust Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy. The applications we resell and deliver services against are accessible to users with disabilities by incorporating features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility, user interface elements that cater to diverse visual needs and so on. In addition, they offer multilingual support aligned with our inclusion policy. Our diverse workforce informs training materials and support services offered alongside our solutions.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing- WM Promus promote Work-Life Balance and facilitate flexible work for employees. Our services and solutions also do this for clients through asynchronous communication tools (allowing for responses outside core working hours), mobile access for remote work and flexible schedules (thus helping client engineers achieve a better work-life balance by offering them more control over their workload and schedule). Our services and solutions also reduce work stress through automated and streamlined workflows. Automating repetitive tasks frees up users' time and reduce stress associated with manual, time-consuming processes. Our services and solution embed easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces minimizing frustration and cognitive load for users, contributing to a more positive work experience. The Data Privacy and Security features within our offerings demonstrate a commitment to user wellbeing by protecting sensitive information and reducing stress related to potential data breaches.

Pricing

Price: £327.60 to £11,407.50 a unit a month
Discount for educational organisations: No
Free trial available: Yes
Description of free trial: Time limited trials are available. Assistance with use of the service during the trial is available.

Features

Benefits

Service documents

Framework

Service ID

Contact

Service scope

User support

Onboarding and offboarding

Using the service

Scaling

Analytics

Resellers

Staff security

Asset protection

Data importing and exporting

Data-in-transit protection

Availability and resilience

Identity and authentication

Audit information for users

Standards and certifications

Security governance

Operational security

Secure development

Public sector networks

Pricing

Service documents

Cookies on Digital Marketplace

IBM watsonX ai

Features

Benefits

Pricing

Service documents

Framework

Service ID

Contact

Service scope

User support

Onboarding and offboarding

Using the service

Scaling

Analytics

Resellers

Staff security

Asset protection

Data importing and exporting

Data-in-transit protection

Availability and resilience

Identity and authentication

Audit information for users

Standards and certifications

Security governance

Operational security

Secure development

Public sector networks

Social Value

Pricing

Service documents