Ramsey, NJ (Dec. 4, 2017) – Following the announcement of its next-generation Workplace Hub intelligent edge platform earlier this year, Konica Minolta showcased the Cognitive Hub during the AI Summit in New York earlier this week.
Developed by Konica Minolta Laboratory Europe, Cognitive Hub is the next generation of Workplace Hub. It will apply intelligent edge computing to provide AI and augment human intelligence, extending the network of human interfaces and enhancing collaboration among individuals and teams. Cognitive Hub will become a nexus for clients’ information flows within the digital workplace and will provide AI-based interoperability services that are immediately and automatically actionable.
The emergence of AI, combined with deep learning technologies and innovative business models, is providing opportunities for businesses to manage information flows in newly-formed digital workplaces. Konica Minolta is committed to utilizing digital technology to provide sustainable, holistic customer solutions across this growing working ecosystem, in accordance with its new medium-term business plan, SHINKA 2019. Cognitive Hub is the latest step in the organization’s journey to becoming a platform-led, IoT business.
“At Konica Minolta, we believe that customer solutions will lie in the form of cognitive AI integrators or distributed AI applications,” said Dennis Curry, executive director and deputy CTO at Konica Minolta. “These cognitive platforms can integrate and orchestrate AI services to enable better team working and collaboration amongst individuals. With an evolving cognitive platform of platforms, AI will enable enterprises to move from simply consuming information, towards managing it by augmenting intelligence and improving decision-making processes. Such innovations like Konica Minolta’s Cognitive Hub will emerge from evolving systems that will learn from our own intuition and emotional intelligence.”
Experience Cognitive Hub from the digital to real world
Konica Minolta offered a first glance of the Cognitive Hub to an international audience at the AI Summit, Dec 5-6 in New York City. Attendees experienced a short demonstration of the platform that evaluates and recognizes emotions. Moreover, they were able to visualize potential-use cases of interaction with the Cognitive Hub and see 3D models of the future device representing the next big bet in the technology giant’s long history of innovation.
“Digital transformation is becoming increasingly important to our customers and we recognize the need to be able to support their Workplace of the Future requirements from the outset. Within North America, we’re thrilled to be able to introduce Cognitive Hub at an event that positions us as a leading IoT company, and start those conversations now,” said Rick Taylor, CEO and President of Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA.
During the AI Summit, held at Metropolitan West, Curry delivered a keynote speech about the future evolution of AI and cognitive platforms.
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About Konica Minolta Laboratory Europe (KMLE)
Since its establishment in 1873, Konica Minolta has had a long history of innovation. In 2015, Konica Minolta Laboratory Europe (KMLE) established its headquarters in London and subsequently opened R&D laboratories in Brno, Czech Republic and in Munich, Germany, with a third one to open in Rome, Italy. KMLE is the hub where innovative solutions in the field of information and communications technology come to life to transform the next generation of platforms and services from Konica Minolta.
Leveraging on close collaboration with the Konica Minolta Business Innovation Centre Europe and external research organizations, KMLE takes advantage of the most advanced technologies to support new business opportunities driven by customers’ needs.
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta is a global technology company that provides innovative solutions to businesses and society. With its strengths in the combination of its core technologies in advanced imaging, optics, sensing, materials and nano-processing, Konica Minolta is committed to creating new values that help customers address challenges in their operations and work processes. Advancing its expertise in digital technologies, the company has been transforming into a digital company with insight into implicit challenges across the board as One Konica Minolta in the era of Internet of the Things (IoT). Konica Minolta is also active in open innovation through various collaborations and alliances with academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Konica Minolta has its Group companies in 50 countries with more than 43,000 employees and offers products and services in 150 countries around the world.
