Recognizing that they are great at fast food, and that IBM is a high-tech company with a brainy employee named Watson, McDonald's Corp. has decided to divest McD Tech Labs. to their strategic partner. The McD Tech Labs subsidiary was established in 2019 following acquisition of start-up Apprente Inc. a developer of automated order-taking software. The intention was for McDonald's to incorporate these systems into the Accelerating the Arches initiative to provide convenience and speed in filling orders.
In past months, IBM has developed AI-driven solutions using their Watson platform to benefit a wide range of businesses.
Following closure of the transaction in December, McD Tech Labs. will be integrated into the Cloud and Cognitive Software segment of IBM.