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IBM and Reflexis Tap the Power of Watson to Transform Retail
[October 08, 2014]

IBM and Reflexis Tap the Power of Watson to Transform Retail


DEDHAM, Mass. & ARMONK, N.Y. --(Business Wire)--

Reflexis Systems, Inc. today announced the general availability of its IBM (News - Alert) Watson-powered app called Reflexis StorePulse™, which transforms insights and trends uncovered from unstructured data into best practice retail action that improves the buying experience for shoppers in stores.

Fueled by IBM Watson technology via the cloud, the interconnect module enables companies in the retail, hospitality, and Quick Serve Restaurant industries to take input from Watson pertaining to customer demand influences - weather, social media, local events, news, variable date holidays, and more - and automatically alert the right store managers, associates, and corporate planners to take specific action based on the retailer's established best practices.

"Even the best forecasting systems are incapable of helping retailers to identify and respond to late-breaking, last minute social media and local events which have a direct impact on customer demand," said Murtaza Ghadyali, Senior Vice President of Product Management for Reflexis. "The combination of Watson and Reflexis enables retailers to find previously hidden demand triggers from unstructured text in blogs, news, weather reports, and customer surveys and ensure store managers, supply chain planners, merchandisers, and others take proper action to increase profitability and deliver the best possible customer experience."

IBM also announced today accelerated adoption of Watson's cognitive capabilities globally. Today's news reinforces IBM's strategy to fuel an ecosystem of innovators who will help make cognitive the new standard of computing.

"IBM is receiving an outpouring of interest from partners in Watson's cognitive capabilities and supporting industry-changing use cases around the globe," said Stephen Gold, Vice President, IBM Watson Group. "We are thrilled to be working with some of the industries' best and brightest entrepreneurs and established organizations."

Organizations that are interested in collaborating with IBM to develop Watson-powered applications can visit www.ibm.com/watsonecosystem to learn more.

IBM Watson: Pioneering a New Era of Computing

IBM Watson represents a new era of computing, in which apps and systems interact with human users more naturally, augment our knowledge with Big Data insights, and learn to improve how they assist us.

Fueled by innovation from mission to transform industries and professions, Watson is uniquely positioned at the forefront of the new era of computing, evidenced by an unmatched demonstration of what cognitive systems can bring to transform decision-making. IBM is delivering a range of cloud-based products and services to clients in industries such as banking, healthcare, insurance, retail and education.



In January, 2014, IBM launched the IBM Watson Group, a new business unit dedicated to the development and commercialization of cloud-delivered cognitive advisors. The move signifies a strategic shift by IBM to accelerate into the marketplace a new class of software, services and apps that think, improve by learning, and discover insights from massive amounts of Big Data.

IBM is investing more than $1 billion into the Watson Group, focusing on research, development and bringing cloud-delivered cognitive applications and services to market. This includes $100 million earmarked for direct investment to support IBM's ecosystem of start-ups and businesses building cognitive apps made with Watson. Currently more than 3,300 organizations and entrepreneurial individuals have shared their ideas for creating cognitive apps that redefine how businesses and consumers make decisions.


For more information on IBM Watson, please visit: www.ibmwatson.com.

For more insights on this story and more, visit the IBM Watson press kit.

To join the social discussion about Watson, include the hashtag #ibmwatson. Follow Watson on Facebook and see Watson on YouTube and Flickr.

About Reflexis Systems, Inc.

Reflexis is the pioneer in real-time store execution and workforce management solutions that enable retailers to execute their customer engagement strategy flawlessly and uncover profit. The Reflexis platform of real-time store execution, task management, KPI/compliance, time and attendance, and labor scheduling (including budgeting, forecasting, and employee self-service) enables retailers to align store labor/activities to corporate goals and institutionalize best-practice response to real-time metrics and alerts.

For the past 12 years, more than 200 of the world's best companies in multiple vertical categories such as retail, hospitality, and Quick Serve Restaurants have reported dramatic improvements in compliance with corporate strategies; higher productivity of corporate, field, and store employees; and increased revenue and profitability after implementing Reflexis workforce management and real-time execution solutions. Reflexis StorePulse™ (patent pending) synchronizes activities with real-time KPIs, alerts, and customer demand. Stores, hotels, and restaurants can systemically execute best practices to provide a greater quality of customer engagement, leading to higher revenues.

Reflexis Systems, Inc. is privately held and headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts and has offices in Atlanta, London, the Netherlands, and India. For more information, visit www.reflexisinc.com. Follow Reflexis on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google (News - Alert)+, and Instagram: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Google+ | Instagram


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