Yes, tool is the new skill.
Skill was what we had in the legacy platform now in maintenace mode within SKill Studio: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/watsonx/watson-orchestrate/base?topic=using-skill-based-experience
Tool is what we have in strategic agent builder we recommend you use moving forward: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/watsonx/watson-orchestrate/base?topic=getting-started-watsonx-orchestrate
But same concept / use indeed, a way to act against any back-end system, just that tool is used in an agentic context where the LLM drives the orchestration.
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Laurent de Clermont-Tonnerre
watsonx Orchestrate Product Manager
IBM
San Francisco
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Original Message:
Sent: Tue July 29, 2025 12:48 AM
From: VIJAY SRIDHARA
Subject: Differentiate Skills and Tools
What is the difference between Skills and Tools. I feel both are aimed at doing things outside of Watsonx, or additional rule based logic to be built.
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VIJAY SRIDHARA
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