IBM has reached a definitive agreement to acquire a provider of robotic process automation (RPA) software, WDG Soluções Em Sistemas E Automação De Processos LTDA (WDG Automation).
IBM's aim with the acquisition of the Brazil-based company is to advance its AI-infused automation capabilities, spanning business processes to IT operations.
According to IBM, in today's digital era, companies are looking for new ways to create new business models, deliver new services and lower costs. The need to drive this transformation is even greater now given the uncertainties of COVID-19.
Citing IDC data that, by 2025, AI-powered enterprises will see a 100% increase in knowledge worker productivity, resulting in shorter reaction times, greater product innovation success and improved customer satisfaction, IBM contends that when AI-infused automation is applied to business processes and IT operations, it can help shorten the time between identifying an issue and responding. This is critical, it says, as unforeseen IT incidents and outages, for example, can cost businesses in both revenue and reputation.
By embedding WDG Automation's RPA capabilities into IBM's existing AI-infused automation capabilities across business processes and IT operations, business leaders including Chief Operating Officers (COOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) will have broader access to intelligent automation through software robots. The acquisition also will extend IBM Services' ability to transform clients' operations as RPA, analytics and AI bring more intelligence to the enterprise workflows that fuel adaptive and resilient businesses and helps to expand IBM's capabilities for delivering automation pervasively across client organizations.
With this acquisition, says IBM, businesses will be able to efficiently re-engineer, optimize and standardize operations, while eliminating business processes and IT operations that are redundant or unnecessary. They can also quickly identify more granular opportunities for automation, including tasks that have many steps, as well as help ensure consistent and accurate data is being used across all tools and business functions, including customer service, IT, finance, HR, and supply chain.
"IBM already automates how companies apply AI to business processes and IT operations so they can detect opportunities and problems and recommend next steps and solutions," said Denis Kennelly, general manager, cloud integration, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software. "With today's announcement, IBM is taking that a step further and helping clients accelerate automation to more parts of the organization, not just to routine, but more complex tasks so employees can focus on higher value work."
For more information, go to www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/why-ibm-acquired-this-rpa-provider.