A closer look at how teams build agents, and how the platform connects to the rest of your systems.
An AI agent is an application that operates autonomously — understanding, planning, and acting on a defined goal. It uses a Large Language Model (LLM) to reason, and connects to tools, other models, or IT systems to accomplish a user's objective.
watsonx Orchestrate is the platform that lets AI agents from multiple vendors work together through a single, central orchestrator — spanning every department in your organization.
watsonx Orchestrate supports several ways to build an agent, matching every skill level from business users to professional developers.
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| No-code Agent Builder | Business users — build an agent in minutes through an easy-to-use UI |
| Chat to Build | Build an agent by describing it in natural language (IBM Project Bob) |
| Pro-code (Agent Development Kit) | Developers who want fine-grained control via CLI |
| Flow-builder | Integrates with Langflow for rapid prototyping |
| Third-party Agents | Connect external agents and tools through the open A2A and MCP standards |
watsonx Orchestrate is built to be open — no vendor lock-in. It connects to agents and tools from external systems through industry-standard open protocols.
Connect agents from Salesforce Agentforce, ServiceNow, and Microsoft Copilot
Connect tools from IBM, UiPath RPA, and Salesforce
Use models from Claude (Anthropic), OpenAI, and Groq through a secure router
The flexibility to build and connect agents described above translates into real, measurable business outcomes.
