IBM is buying Brazilian process automation specialist WDG Automation.  The acquisition adds AI capabilities to IBM’s automation portfolio, and allows the company to market services that will automate both enterprise workflows and technical processes, including IT operations in the data centre, at the edge, and in the cloud. Acquiring WDG Automation will allow IBM to further merge AI, automation and analytics into new offerings across enterprise operations.

IBM says that AI-based automation will shorten the time between identifying technical issues and fixing them.

Merging WDG Automation’s products with IBM’s AI platforms will broaden the scope of intelligent, software robot automation across the enterprise. A result will be more adaptive and resilient businesses.

The WDG Automation technology will join the IBM Cloud Integration organisation and be available through IBM Cloud Pak for Automation on-premises, and in public or private cloud environments.

“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 organisation, not just to routine, but more complex tasks so employees can focus on higher value work.”