World Vision to Benefit from IBM Supercomputer's Competition on Jeopardy! Quiz Show

Charity named as one of two IBM beneficiaries in contest to air this February

SEATTLE, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International humanitarian organization World Vision has been named one of IBM's two non-profit beneficiaries in the upcoming Jeopardy! contest between two of the quiz show's most celebrated champions, Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings, and IBM's "Watson" computing system.

World Vision will receive half of IBM's total winnings, with nonprofit group World Community Grid receiving the other half. The grand prize for this competition will be $1 million with second place earning $300,000 and third place $200,000. Rutter and Jennings will donate 50 percent of their winnings to charity and IBM will donate 100 percent of its winnings to charity.

"World Vision is honored to be chosen by IBM to benefit from this historic and exciting Jeopardy competition," said Christopher Glynn, World Vision's senior vice president for corporate development. "As IBM leads in technology innovation, they also continue to help humanitarian organizations, like World Vision, improve their service to the poor and vulnerable in new and more effective ways."

The relief and development agency works in nearly 100 countries, including Haiti, where IBM committed a team of IT consultants to help World Vision develop a critically needed tracking system for its disaster response vehicles. This was a new system for World Vision and an IT imperative given the context and needs on the ground during the emergency response.

"Last year, IBM went above and beyond the call of duty to share their expertise to benefit World Vision's emergency response in Haiti. We are grateful for their many years of partnership," added Glynn.

The first-ever man vs. machine Jeopardy! competition will air on February 14, 15 and 16, 2011, with two matches being played over three consecutive days.

About World Vision

World Vision  is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision achieves this through community development, disaster relief and advocacy in nearly 100 countries. In partnership with World Vision, communities access the knowledge and resources needed to improve the well-being of children and overcome poverty. For disaster preparedness and response, World Vision identifies places at risk of disaster, pre-positions resources and staff in high-risk zones, and builds capacity and resilience among communities to help them protect themselves before an emergency and rebuild afterwards. World Vision's advocacy work involves engaging institutions and the public to address global problems that perpetuate poverty, as well as empowering communities to advocate on their own behalf. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org.

About IBM's Watson Computing System

Watson, named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, was built by a team of IBM scientists who set out to accomplish a grand challenge – build a computing system that rivals a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural language with speed, accuracy and confidence. The Jeopardy! format provides the ultimate challenge because the game's clues involve analyzing subtle meaning, irony, riddles, and other complexities in which humans excel and computers traditionally do not. For more information, please visit www.ibmwatson.com

SOURCE World Vision U.S.