The commercialization of cognitive systems is impacting the consumer and enterprise worlds by changing the way people interact with computers along with the methods for data analysis. Cognitive computing holds the promise of transforming information-intensive industries with its ability to ingest, analyze, and summarize massive data sets and facilitate self-service analytics, intelligent decision support, and smart advisory systems via the application of natural language processing, machine learning, and intelligent reasoning capabilities. This, the first of a two-part Executive Report series, begins to examine the rise of cognitive computing — including the technologies enabling cognitive platforms, cognitive applications, available commercial cognitive products, and development trends.