In today’s interconnected world, the convergence of technology and industry has given rise to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a powerful force that is revolutionizing the way we operate, optimize, and innovate within various sectors. The IIoT, a subset of the broader Internet of Things (IoT), is reshaping industrial processes, enhancing productivity, and fostering new possibilities across a wide range of industries.

What is the Industrial Internet of Things?

The Industrial Internet of Things, often referred to as Industry 4.0, is the application of IoT technologies and concepts to the industrial sector. It involves the integration of smart sensors, data analytics, cloud computing, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication into traditional industries, such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and agriculture. These technologies enable the collection, analysis, and exchange of data to create more efficient and intelligent systems.

Key Components of IIoT

1. Sensors and Devices

At the core of IIoT are sensors and devices that collect data from the physical world. These devices are equipped with a variety of sensors, including temperature, pressure, motion, and more, which allow them to capture real-time information.

2. Connectivity

The data collected by sensors and devices is transmitted through various communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks. This connectivity allows data to be sent to central servers or cloud platforms for analysis.

3. Data Analytics

Once the data is collected, it is processed and analyzed using powerful algorithms. Advanced analytics can uncover valuable insights, trends, and patterns that were previously hidden in the massive amounts of data generated.

4. Cloud Computing

Cloud platforms play a crucial role in IIoT, serving as the storage and processing hubs for the vast amounts of data generated. Cloud solutions enable real-time access to data, making it accessible to authorized stakeholders anywhere in the world.

5. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning and AI are integral to IIoT for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and process optimization. These technologies make it possible to respond to real-time data and automate decision-making.

Transforming Industries

The IIoT is transforming industries in various ways, leading to increased efficiency, improved safety, and a fundamental shift in business models.

1. Manufacturing

In the manufacturing sector, IIoT is revolutionizing production processes. Smart factories equipped with IIoT technologies can monitor equipment health, automate maintenance, and optimize production schedules. Real-time data analytics help manufacturers identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, reducing downtime and waste. The result is increased productivity and cost savings.

2. Energy and Utilities

The energy and utilities sector is harnessing the power of IIoT to improve grid management, energy distribution, and asset maintenance. Smart meters and sensors allow for better monitoring of energy consumption, while predictive maintenance minimizes the risk of power outages. IIoT has the potential to significantly reduce energy waste and carbon emissions.

3. Transportation and Logistics

In the transportation and logistics industry, IIoT is improving supply chain visibility and efficiency. Fleet management systems equipped with IIoT devices can track vehicle location, monitor cargo conditions, and optimize delivery routes. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also reduces operational costs.

4. Agriculture

Agriculture is experiencing a digital transformation thanks to IIoT. Smart farming solutions utilize sensors and data analytics to monitor soil conditions, crop health, and weather patterns. This data helps farmers make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and planting, ultimately increasing crop yields and reducing resource usage.

Challenges and Considerations

While the Industrial Internet of Things offers tremendous benefits, it also presents challenges that must be addressed:

1. Security and Privacy

The increased connectivity and data sharing in IIoT raise concerns about data security and privacy. Organizations must invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or cyberattacks.

2. Interoperability

With various devices and systems being integrated into IIoT ecosystems, ensuring interoperability between them can be complex. Standards and protocols must be established to facilitate seamless communication and data exchange.

3. Data Overload

The sheer volume of data generated by IIoT devices can be overwhelming. Organizations need to implement effective data management strategies to sift through the noise and focus on relevant information.

4. Workforce Training

The adoption of IIoT technologies requires a skilled workforce capable of managing and maintaining these systems. Investment in training and upskilling is necessary to harness the full potential of IIoT.

Future Trends of IIoT

The IIoT continues to evolve, and several key trends are shaping its future:

1. 5G Connectivity

The rollout of 5G networks promises faster and more reliable connectivity, enabling real-time data transmission and better support for IIoT applications.

2. Edge Computing

Edge computing, which involves processing data closer to the source, is gaining importance in IIoT. It reduces latency and can be crucial for applications that require rapid decision-making.

3. AI Integration

AI and machine learning will play an increasingly significant role in IIoT, providing intelligent insights and predictive capabilities to optimize industrial processes.

4. Sustainability

IIoT will contribute to sustainability efforts by improving resource management, reducing waste, and enhancing energy efficiency.

Conclusion

The Industrial Internet of Things is reshaping industries across the globe, unlocking new possibilities and revolutionizing the way we approach manufacturing, energy, transportation, and more. As organizations continue to invest in IIoT technologies, it is essential to address challenges related to security, interoperability, data management, and workforce training.

The future of IIoT looks promising, with advancements in 5G connectivity, edge computing, and AI integration. As the world becomes increasingly connected, the Industrial Internet of Things will continue to drive efficiency, innovation, and sustainability in a wide range of industries, ushering in a new era of digital transformation.

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Latest Release of Leading IIoT Platform to Enhance Scalability, Simplify Solution Development, and Expand OPC UA Support for Enterprise Deployments.

PTC today announced the upcoming release of the latest version of its market-leading ThingWorx® Industrial IoT platform.

Designed to accelerate Industrial IoT deployments across the enterprise value chain, ThingWorx 9.0 will deliver new and expanded features to help industrial companies create, implement, customize, and scale their solutions.

ThingWorx was the first platform that focused exclusively on the industrial market for digital transformation use cases. Since its initial launch, thousands of industrial companies, including discrete product and process manufacturers, have used ThingWorx to successfully optimize business processes, improve manufacturing operations, modernize field service delivery, and more. ThingWorx is an essential platform for delivering Industrial IoT solutions at scale, across the enterprise, and enables organizations around the world to gain competitive advantage and reduce costs.

ThingWorx 9.0 will deliver advances in several core development areas and introduce many new features and capabilities:

Enhanced Scalability and Availability

With Industrial IoT central to companies’ digital transformation efforts, ThingWorx 9.0 will introduce a new, optimized clustered configuration that will significantly improve the horizontal scalability and availability of the platform. This improvement will fortify the ability of ThingWorx to scale to vast populations of devices, manage demanding data processing requirements, and support a greater number of application users. Additionally, the clustered configuration will further strengthen ThingWorx deployments for critical operations, systems, services, and assets that need to remain highly available under the most important circumstances.

Accelerated Application and Solution Enablement

Expanding on the platform’s heritage as a standout tool for rapid application enablement, ThingWorx 9.0 will formally introduce solution building blocks. These building blocks are pre-defined, pre-built configurations of connectors, domain models, business logic, and UI elements, which will simplify implementations of the highest-value Industrial IoT use cases, such as status monitoring, digital work instructions, and manufacturing job order management.

Unleashing Data Models with Microsoft Using OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)

PTC and Microsoft share the vision to drive openness and interoperability in industrial IoT and support the industrial interoperability standard OPC UA. ThingWorx 9.0 will bring seamless integration with OPC UA components that Microsoft contributed to the OPC Foundation, including OPC UA Publisher, OPC UA Twin, and OPC UA Global Discovery Server, offering the ability to deliver intelligence and data richness from the edge to the cloud. OPC UA helps integrate the ThingWorx Kepware® connectivity solution and Microsoft Azure with ThingWorx, where data models get automatically standardized for simplified solution enablement.

Analytics Advancements

ThingWorx 9.0 will introduce enhanced predictive analytics scoring at the edge to reduce data transmission costs and latency challenges, and improve the accuracy of asset performance predictions. These advantages are important for deployments of ThingWorx at the enterprise level, as these companies rely on the insights from the ThingWorx Analytics solution to improve decision making, optimize operational processes, and reduce unplanned downtime.

Scaling ThingWorx with Solution Central

ThingWorx 9.0 will simplify the scaling of Industrial IoT deployments across the enterprise with enhancements to the Solution Central tool. Administrators will have access to a broader range of self-service functions for deploying ThingWorx solutions, managing ThingWorx environments, and enabling development team collaboration. Since its introduction in ThingWorx 8.5, Solution Central has been adopted by hundreds of ThingWorx customers and partners that are scaling ThingWorx deployments across their organizations.

“The introduction of ThingWorx 9.0 will mark an important advancement for PTC’s Industrial IoT strategy,” said Joe Biron, Divisional General Manager and Chief Technology Officer, IoT Segment, PTC.

“Our added investments in scalability, solution development, OPC UA support, and stronger analytics are critical as our customers continue to scale their Industrial IoT deployments across the enterprise. These enhancements come at an especially important time, as companies look for new ways to innovate and address challenges from the impact of COVID-19, such as the increased need for remote monitoring, control, and services.”

In addition to strong customer adoption and success, ThingWorx continues to see consistent acknowledgment as a leading Industrial IoT platform from industry analyst firms. Analysts continue to credit the advancements of ThingWorx as a platform, as well as PTC’s strategic alliances with Rockwell Automation and Microsoft.

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• Trial follows increasing demand for wireless communications at manufacturing sites driven by the need for stable connectivity between IoT devices

• 5G connectivity leveraged to prove the feasibility of layout-free production line with Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) as well as real-time coaching using AI/IoT

Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, INC. and OMRON Corporation have agreed to conduct joint field trials using 5G at their plants and other production sites.

As part of the trial, Nokia will provide the enabling 5G technology and OMRON the factory automation equipment while NTT DOCOMO will run the 5G trial.

The trial follows the increasing demand for wireless communications at manufacturing sites driven by the need for stable connectivity between IoT devices. As background noise from machines and the movement of people have the potential to interfere with wireless communications, the trial will aim to verify the reliability and stability of 5G technology deployed by conducting radio wave measurements and transmission experiments.

During the trial, Nokia, DOCOMO and OMRON will aim to establish the feasibility of the concept of a layout-free production line with Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). As product cycles become shorter due to fast-changing consumer demands, manufacturing sites are under increasing pressure to rearrange production lines at short notice. By taking advantage of 5G’s high speed, large capacity, low latency and ability to connect multiple devices, the trial will see AMRs automatically conveying components to the exact spot where they are required based on communication with production line equipment.

The trial will also leverage 5G connectivity for real-time coaching using AI/IoT. Machine operators will be monitored using cameras, with an AI-based system providing feedback on their performance based on an analysis of their movements. This will help improve the training of technicians by detecting and analyzing the differences of motion between more skilled and less skilled personnel.

John Harrington, President and CEO, Nokia Japan, said:

“This trial will allow us to address some of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. Whilst consumers will experience faster, more immediate mobile communications, it is manufacturers that are set to benefit the most from 5G.”

“The stable, lower-latency and higher throughput wireless connections that come with 5G allow them to truly embrace the Internet of Things. Production lines will be more flexible and adaptable, and productivity on the factory floor can be more easily improved. We are dedicated to helping manufacturers enable this Industry 4.0 vision.”

Mr. Takehiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and General Manager of 5G Laboratories, NTT DOCOMO, commented:
“NTT DOCOMO has conducted multiple trials creating 5G use cases with a variety of partners, with factory automation emerging as one of the most interesting and challenging fields to explore. We are delighted to collaborate with Nokia and OMRON in the co-creation of innovative 5G services for the manufacturing sector. We are confident we will be able to prove the feasibility of layout-free factory production lines with Autonomous Mobile Robots and person-machine collaboration, thanks to Nokia’s expertise in 5G infrastructure and OMRON’s manufacturing technology know-how.”

“We are pleased to start this experiment with Nokia and DOCOMO, aiming to bring 5G onto the real manufacturing floor”, said, Mr. Shinji Fukui, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager, Technology Development Division HQ, Industrial Automation Company, OMRON Corporation. “OMRON is striving to create innovations in manufacturing through our technologies and solutions based on the industry’s widest range of control devices. We believe this collaboration will enable us to create innovative solutions with 5G to address issues in the manufacturing industries by integrating OMRON’s control technology, DOCOMO’s 5G expertise and the cutting-edge technology of Nokia.”

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Haltian’s new end-to-end Smart Factory Service reduces factory costs up to 90% – compared to traditional automation techniques, by providing a straightforward and secure asset and process digitalization for industrial enterprises. This solution sees Haltian combine their Thingsee IoT platform and industry-grade retrofit sensors with AWS IoT Greengrass Edge Computing, and private LTE technology and paves the way for 5G.

Haltian Oy is the first vendor on the market to offer industrial enterprises a complete and fully integrated wireless Smart Factory solution with on-site infrastructure.

The innovative product development and global IoT company, has just launched its end-to-end Smart Factory solution, based on its Thingsee IoT platform. This includes new industry-grade retrofit sensors with a Gateway device, coupled with an Edge Computing platform based on the AWS IoT Greengrass technology, and optional Private LTE for secure, local wireless connectivity.

McKinsey Global Institute has conducted a study that predicts that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is expected have an enormous efficiency boost in factories globally – and that the annual economic value of this can reach up to USD 3.7 trillion by 2025.

The study by McKinsey&Company in 2018 however, also identified several challenges, which can slow down the adoption of digital transformation and industrial IoT in factories. These include a lack of reliable and mature IoT platforms, insufficient application of these and a lack of analytics development and unsuited data communication and connectivity technologies.

Haltian’s Smart Factory solution addresses these main market challenges with a secure and cost-efficient, end-to-end approach. Haltian’s sensor devices use Wirepas IoT Mesh networking to transmit data to the local Thingsee Gateway device, which then relays it to the Thingsee Edge on-site solution based on AWS Greengrass Edge Computing. The Private LTE technology complements the solution with flexible and secure wireless connectivity. This end-to-end infrastructure then enables factories to process all IoT applications and collect sensor data on-site, without having to transmit data through the public Internet.

“No production breaks are needed for installation and digitalization investment is reduced by 90% per data point, compared to the traditional automatic valves”, Pasi Leipälä, CEO and co-founder of Haltian explains. “This Smart Factory solution has been developed hand-in-hand with large industrial customers and leading connectivity partners, to deliver a true fit-for-purpose solution”.

Leipälä continues:

“Our Smart Factory uses leading IoT technologies including the fast-growing Wirepas Mesh, which is the most reliable technology for connecting thousands of wireless sensors in a demanding radio environment. AWS’s Edge Computing technology and Private LTE complement the onsite solution with unprecedented edge scalability, and a robust data collection infrastructure.”

“Thingsee is the most flexible IoT platform in the market and these new technologies takes secure onsite solutions a decade further. The 5G-factory era is approaching fast and Haltian will be amongst the first vendors to get it right,” he concludes.

New IoT Sensors and Gateway Devices:

The new retrofit sensor devices included in the Haltian Smart Factory solution are Thingsee ANGLE and Thingsee ENVIRONMENT RUGGED sensors, and Thingsee GATEWAY LAN.

The sensors are delivered to the customer as ‘plug-and-play’ – the firmware is customer specific and operational out-of-the-box. After the sensors are installed and powered on, they automatically connect to the local Thingsee IoT Platform by using the Wirepas Mesh IoT connectivity protocol.

The smooth and thought-through installation process does not require a production break at the factory.

• Thingsee ANGLE is a unique, retrofit sensor device, which is attached to manual valves. It has magnetic and mechanical angle sensors to monitor the valve’s position and reports any dispositioned valves to the Cloud to allow for a rapid fix by the maintenance staff. The power-frugal Thingsee Angle sensor has up to ten years of battery life.

• Thingsee ENVIRONMENT RUGGED sensor monitors, and wirelessly reports all conditions in the factory – including the temperature, humidity, luminosity, the machine run-time data and more. The sensor is equipped with a rugged IP67 casing, and its replaceable battery can operate up to five years depending on the set transmit interval.

• Thingsee GATEWAY LAN collects data from the sensors through the Wirepas Mesh IoT connectivity and aggregates it to the local Thingsee IoT Platform over the ethernet. The Thingsee LAN Gateway is easily installed by just plugging in the LAN and power cables. After this, it automatically connects to the customer´s local IoT network. If the LAN cable is left unplugged, the gateway operates as a Wirepas Mesh router node, enabling indoor positioning and offering more reliable local Edge infrastructure applications.

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The IIC, now incorporating OpenFog, is the single-largest organization focused on IIoT, AI, fog and edge computing; IIC steering committee elects two new members from OpenFog leadership.

The Industrial Internet Consortium® (IIC) and the OpenFog Consortium® (OpenFog) today announced that they have finalized the details to combine the two largest and most influential international consortia in Industrial IoT, fog and edge computing.

Effective immediately, the organizations will work together under the IIC umbrella to drive the momentum of the industrial internet, including the development and promotion of industry guidance and best practices for fog and edge computing.

Today’s announcement brings OpenFog members into the IIC at a time when their complementary areas of technology are emerging in the mainstream. The first formal meeting of the unified organization will be held in Raleigh, N.C., from February 11-14.

Stan Schneider, CEO of Real-Time Innovations (RTI) and Vice Chair of the IIC Steering Committee., said:

“This agreement brings together the two most important organizations shaping the Industrial Internet of Things. The combined organization offers greater influence to members, more clarity to the market, and a lower-risk path to the future for end users. We will be the center of gravity for the future of Industrial IoT systems across industry verticals.”

“We are excited to take the first steps toward integrating the OpenFog Working Groups, Testbeds and Use Cases with those of the IIC,” said Matt Vasey, OpenFog chairman and president, and director, AI and IoT business development, Microsoft. “Our membership is highly motivated to contribute at every level to continue the advancement of fog technology in the Industrial Internet.”

Quotes from IIC Steering Committee Members:

“We are looking forward to our continued work at the IIC strengthened with the addition of OpenFog. The combined organization will cover the edge to cloud continuum and leverage the international diversity of its members, regional committees and testbeds.” – Ron Zahavi, Chief Strategist for IoT Standards, Azure IoT, Microsoft

“Building out the IIoT ecosystem is essential to ensuring quick market adoption. A significant amount of data is processed at the edge in a majority of IoT solutions being deployed. Joining our memberships as well as our technical edge and fog expertise is a force multiplier for the guidance that we are creating for the IoT industry.” – Wael William Diab, Senior Director, Huawei Technologies

“ABB’s digital approach recognizes the importance of all elements of an IIoT stack, from the edge to the cloud, from the sensor, the automation system, and the IoT analytics, as well as the importance of open standards to ensure interoperability. As an IIC member since early days and an IIC Steering Committee member, ABB sees a great value in joining forces between the Industrial Internet Consortium and the Open Fog consortium.” – Dr. Christopher Ganz, ABB Group VP Service R&D

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New research from Bain & Company finds that:

• European companies have invested in the Internet of Things at higher levels than their competitors in the US.

• Europe’s early lead, particularly in the industrial Internet of Things, has helped them move to scale faster, with three times more extensive implementations than in the US.

• Companies in the US are still struggling with implementation issues that the Europeans have mostly worked through, but executives in both regions are most concerned about cybersecurity.

Europe’s stronger engagement in proofs of concept (POCs) and higher investment levels in 2016 have established the continent’s early lead in the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), helping them to scale faster with three times more extensive implementations than in the U.S.

Yet, cybersecurity remains a hurdle to greater adoption in both regions. These are results of Bain & Company’s latest survey of more than 600 industrial customers of IoT offerings, detailed in a new report, Europeans Extend Their Lead in the Industrial Internet of Things.

Bain & Company first surveyed executives in Europe and the U.S. two years ago about their plans for deploying industrial use cases for the IoT. The research found that 27 percent of European executives said they planned to deploy IoT solutions compared with just 18 percent of their colleagues in the U.S. Additionally, companies in some European industries said they were devoting more of their IT budgets to the Internet of Things, particularly in automotive, buildings and industrial. In the latest survey, nearly half of executives in these industries in the U.S. said they were planning IoT deployments, on par with their European counterparts.

“The long-term ambitions of industrial executives in Europe and the U.S. appear closely matched,” said Christopher Schorling, a partner in Bain & Company’s European Technology practice.

“The difference is that many of Europe’s industrial companies invested early and often in the Internet of Things, giving them an edge over their U.S. counterparts. Europeans also appear further along in cracking the code to unlock value from IoT solutions.”

Figure 1: European manufacturing and production sites implement more industrial IoT solutions than their US peers

Meanwhile, companies in the U.S. continue to struggle with implementation issues that the Europeans have mostly addressed. Bain & Company’s most recent research found that U.S. companies plan to ramp up their investments in POC through 2022. Today, about half of all IoT projects in the U.S. are at this stage, but that’s likely to increase to about 70 percent in the next four years.

Bain & Company revealed that cybersecurity is a top concern for both European and U.S. companies. According to the research, 49 percent of European CEOs said cybersecurity was the biggest barrier to IoT adoption. Industrial customers in the U.S. share this concern, but say issues that would bring IoT solutions into the mainstream of their businesses—namely, integration with other operating technology, interoperability, technical expertise and transition risk – are more pressing. U.S. executives were much more likely to cite these concerns in the 2018 survey than in 2016. These challenges limit the degree to which companies scale their POCs into daily, operational implementations of IoT technology

Figure 2: Industrial customers in Europe regard security as the biggest barrier, while their peers in the US struggle more with integration and interoperability

“Moving forward, the greatest challenge for Europe’s IoT providers is to become leaders in cybersecurity, to meet the needs of their commercial and industrial customers that remain wary due to their security concerns,” said Ann Bosche, a partner in Bain & Company’s Technology practice. “European companies must also continue to address the complex privacy and regulatory environment of the EU. Mastering these challenges could position Europeans as global leaders with a competitive advantage over their peers from other regions.”

According to Bain & Company, Europe’s lead in IoT implementation is a direct result of commercial and industrial customers allotting a higher percentage of their technology spending to IoT deployments compared with their U.S. counterparts. Funding levels have remained roughly constant in Europe over the past two years, reflecting the reality that it can take longer than originally expected to overcome implementation barriers, especially security. Discrete manufacturing represents the greatest percentage of allocation in Europe and the U.S., with process industries following closely behind.

Looking ahead at the investment plans of industrial customers, Europeans are poised to hold a narrowing lead, with more than twice as many extensive implementations in 2020 as their U.S. counterparts. Looking almost 10 years ahead—an imprecise endeavor, but one that can shed light on aspirations— the investment plans of executives in both regions could result in a more competitive position, with the U.S. expecting to see similar levels of POCs and implementations as the Europeans.

IoT providers in both regions could also speed their progress in reducing barriers by focusing their investments on fewer industries, which would allow them to develop greater expertise and deliver more comprehensive end-to-end solutions to their customers.

Partnerships with industrial vendors are especially important, as they provide specific domain knowledge, including software development, analytics and system integration. Without these partnerships, IoT vendors may continue to struggle to sell solutions that integrate smoothly with customers’ businesses and processes.

“Over the next two to three years, clear IoT winners will emerge, as the benefits of early investment kick in and their POCs scale up to operational levels,” said Oliver Straehle, who leads Bain & Company’s Advanced Manufacturing & Services practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Companies that have put off investment will lose ground to competitors that are learning how to derive value from IoT and are becoming more data-driven every day—skills that will form the basis of competition in a world of extreme automation and artificial intelligence.”

Figure 3: European industrial customers allot more of their IT budgets to the Internet of Things and analytics, and they plan to continue doing so

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The global manufacturing sector will continue to capture the greatest percentage of IoT investment in the near term because of the significant gains it is expected to deliver.

The foundations of Industrial IoT enhance existing manufacturing assets with a range of technology including IoT platforms** that embeds intelligence into complex processes and supply chains to create, distribute and manage goods. The resulting “smart factories” will change not only the nature of the manufacturing process but will bring about enhancements to:

• The price of goods, both components and end products
• Where jobs are located and what types of jobs there are
• The suppliers’ ability to respond to customers’ wants and needs

These outcomes are expected to result in significant restructuring of economies around the globe, as the comparative advantage of producing goods, and their ingredients and components, shifts as a result of IoT and related industrial technology like IoT edge platforms.

Technology Across the Supply Chain

The Industrial IoT brings communications and control devices to assets within a plant. But it doesn’t stop there; the industrial IoT (IIoT) actively and securely connects all points where goods are transferred from plant to the end customer including the warehouse, fleets, shippers, ports, distribution centers. And finally, to close the loop, the IIoT connects the product while it is in use at the customer site, providing invaluable data about its use. IoT data generated and captured across this connected supply chain will be consumed by industrial analysis and intelligence applications that will monitor processes, reveal opportunities to improve and optimize them, and surface opportunities to change the manufacturer’s competitive position in the market.

The IIoT is the backbone of a transformed manufacturer and works in concert with other elements of this revolution including robotics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and more to change the value equation in several dimensions: lower costs, faster time-to-market with new products, and greater customer satisfaction resulting from a better understanding of their needs and a significantly improved ability to address those needs.

Room for Improvement

Many IIoT advantages will accumulate at the macro level, improving the market position of a manufacturer or changing the structure of the local economy as the industrial processes, jobs and outputs shift. But there are numerous direct benefits of the Industrial IoT that will deliver rapid and measurable returns in the short term, including

1. Delivering automation and digitization of information; paper processes can be replaced with digital information, for example in fleet management and shipping use cases where information about originator, buyer, carrier and cargo can be automatically and seamlessly exchanged at every point along the route across an ocean, though a port and customs authority, and on the road to and from a warehouse or distribution center.

2. Asset management and maintenance on the factory floor; when the performance of every component and assets on an assembly line can be examined in real-time, maintenance and repair activities can be proactively initiated before failures occur and production is impacted.

3. Plant management; numerous IoT technologies can be employed to optimize the environment for the building, the machines and the workforce alike, including smart ventilation controls, environmental and air quality measurements, security and access management, inventory measurement and controls of manufacturing liquids and gases, monitoring radiation and other hazardous materials, and automating facilities management.

4. Finally, increased customer satisfaction and competitive differentiation in the market can be achieved through better and more detailed understanding of how the product is used by the customer; when the goods themselves are Iot connected, the manufacturer can capture and analyze information about its use and drive more effective product roadmaps.

A Lot of Moving Parts to Manage

Managing the extensive network of connected assets, products and collaborators in an Industrial IoT supply chain, requires an IoT platform that delivers the maximum degree of flexibility, interoperability and efficiency across the ecosystem. The industrial IoT gains to be had are compelling, the investments are significant, and demonstrable gains sought quickly. The newly connected and intelligent elements in the industrial supply chain must be managed. The manufacturer must capitalize from the connected data. And this means that the focus and skills in manufacturing management and maintenance shift to include:

• Connectivity network protocol expertise, development and management
• IoT edge platforms for data and device management
• Cloud connectivity and access controls for device management, data storage and distribution
• Data analytics and visualization

The IoT and digital transformation of industry is underway, attracting significant investment in every region and segment. Stay with me as I continue to explore this subject, presenting industrial use cases where the IoT holds out the promise of delivering real, measurable business outcomes including warehouse operations, factory asset management, predictive maintenance, smart facilities, and more.

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Using Oracle Cloud, New FA-IT Open Platform Enables Rapid Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of Production Site Data.

Oracle today announced its collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to develop an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for smart manufacturing.

With Oracle Cloud, Mitsubishi Electric developed its new FA-IT Open Platform for factory automation. Using edge computing between devices and business applications, the new platform enables the rapid collection, analysis, and utilization of data at production site.

With organizations rapidly adopting Industry 4.0, manufacturers are increasingly seeking to optimize their total manufacturing processes by using IoT to collect data from all equipment in factories for visualization and analysis. Developing such IoT systems from scratch is an enormous task requiring that data be collected and modeled from a wide variety of production equipment, including existing equipment, for analytical purposes.

With FA-IT Open Platform, vendors can create manufacturing applications for operation on the platform, including connecting the platform to industrial networks to collect data from diverse devices and production equipment. The cloud-connected platform can be used to link manufacturing sites with cloud vendors’ own cloud-supported manufacturing-optimization services for supply chains, administration of multiple factories worldwide, and other applications.

FA-IT Open Platform leverages Oracle Database Cloud, Oracle Java Cloud, Oracle BI Cloud, Oracle IoT Cloud, Oracle IoT Production Monitoring Cloud, Oracle SOA Cloud, and Oracle Infrastructure as a Service. Information received in real time from machine tools and production terminals is received by Oracle IoT Cloud, enabling efficient real time processing with the extensible infrastructure. Mitsubishi Electric utilizes machine learning of Oracle Database Cloud, the reporting function of Oracle BI Cloud, and the cost-effective Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in the analysis of accumulated Big Data, contributing to further development of solutions in the factory automation area for customers and to smart manufacturing industry.

“Mitsubishi Electric develops advanced technologies and products for rapidly emerging factory automation,” said Toshiya Takahashi, corporate executive group senior vice president, factory automation system, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. “Our e-F@ctory concept for integrated automation reduces the total cost of developing, producing and maintaining products. Mitsubishi Electric’s new FA-IT Open Platform is based on edge computing to accelerate IoT utilization for smart manufacturing.”

“By adding Oracle Cloud services to this platform, we believe that it will be possible to visualize factories and build an application development environment. In order to provide the platform to customers early, we will also work with partner companies, including IT companies, to develop applications utilizing the platform.”

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Management and entrepreneurs in every field will learn to interpret depth metrics relating to the behaviour of every client, as well as every worker and the progress of their business, and will also get access to detailed information on the operation of their businesses.

A growing number of actors and leading experts in the IT scene have pointed to 2017 as a turning point for sparking off a wave of new initiatives in the Internet of Things (IoT) in companies and businesses of every kind, in an ecosystem that is set to reach maturity in 2021. Four years may seem a long time, but this should not be used by companies as an excuse for delaying their implementation; the earlier they start, the better equipped they will be to undertake a proactive immersion in the IoT.

A recent report drawn up by the annual event, the IoT Solutions World Congress (IoTSWC), organised by Fira de Barcelona, which every year brings together the world’s leading companies and representatives of the Internet of Things for industrial application, emphasises the six drivers that will speed up the implementation of IoT in businesses and companies of every kind. For those business people who are still displaying signs of scepticism, there are some very good reasons why they should consider integrating the IoT in their business processes.

1 Automation of processes

The automation of certain tasks such as stocktaking, money counting or the maintenance of staff job schedules is one of the great breakthroughs of the IoT. Entrepreneurs and managers need to distinguish between the time they spend on tasks that are really important for the progress of the business and those that, albeit necessary for the company to operate, are not directly aligned with its strategic objectives. In the latter case, finding mechanisms that automate certain repetitive tasks ends up saving time and workforce labour. However, automation also entails certain risks that need to be bolstered by cybersecurity measures.

2 Depth metrics

Management and entrepreneurs in every field will learn to interpret depth metrics relating to the behaviour of every client, as well as every worker and the progress of their business, and will also get access to detailed information on the operation of their businesses. All this valuable information needs to be processed properly using analytic systems and visualisation software. Conventional communication channels such as voice, email and even videoconferencing will be complemented by IoT devices that will take physical presence to a whole new level of interaction.

3 More flexible workforces

As well as smart factories, we will also be talking about ‘smart offices’ and ‘smart warehouses’. The emergence of the IoT in companies means that everything is speeding up. From the moment that the interconnection of devices can include any kind of element, from traffic lights to vehicles and public transport, employers and employees alike will be spending less time on commuting.

Thanks to cloud-hosted software and the tremendous versatility of certain devices such as tablets, teleworking will become a serious option for professionals from numerous sectors, from healthcare staff through to salespeople and journalists, not forgetting office workers in all kinds of public and private companies.

4 Increased productivity, reducing the IT budget

In general terms, the IoT will facilitate an increase in productivity and a reduction in IT budgets in all kinds of businesses and companies. It is likely that the costs involved in implementing sensors and updating devices and networks to host the analytics platforms will be high; but businesses will benefit almost immediately from savings in staff costs thanks to the fact that the technology will effectively resolve problems to which they previously had to devote time and manual effort. As and when the IoT becomes a generalised standard, industries such as logistics and freight transport will almost certainly automate almost all their processes.

5 Preventive maintenance with M2M communication

When the IoT becomes a fact of daily life and all devices become manageable elements of a single network, it will be even easier to manage everything remotely. With a tablet and an internet connection it will be possible to manage an entire production line, a warehouse or a library with millions of references. Many industrial machine systems for manufacturing goods that show the operational state of the production chain through local displays are getting feedback from a wide variety of supplementary sensors. These sensors connect to the factory networks to provide real-time information that will be analysed and used for preventive maintenance programmes to adjust production parameters and coordinate multiple pieces of equipment. M2M communications, which lay the foundations of the IoT, are helping to reduce the costs of the entire production chain.

6 More streamlined data analytics

Some people are calling for a deeper understanding of the importance of operating in IoT deployments equipped with tools that streamline analytics – especially those that take place at the data site (edge analytics) – in order to innovate. “The IoT opens the door to new ways of winning customers, to evolving the way we operate in the market, and to innovative business management models in business processes and the production of goods. Why are a growing number of companies deciding to adopt the IoT, given the complexity involved in managing this type of platform?” asks the North American analyst Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). The answer is clear, as the ESG points out below: “Because in spite of the complexity involved in the IoT, the benefits of analytics are immediate in the form of operating efficiencies, differentiated and improved customer service, the creation of new products and services, and the development of new and disruptive business models.”

The views of IoTSWC experts on the disruptive effect of IoT in business

The main players and experts in the development of Internet of Things systems for industrial use who met at IoTSWC 2016 pointed to various disruptive elements of the IoT that will encompass every sector of the economy.

“Every industrial sector will come under the influence of the IoT. Estimates of what the IoT ecosystem will represent in economic terms have been put at 20 trillion dollars over the next five to six years.” – Mark Cawford (SAP)

“The changes that have taken place in the last two or three years in terms of efficiency, availability and optimisation of companies’ operability have definitely left behind the methodologies of the past.” – Douglas Bellin (Cisco)

“Following the arrival of Industry 4.0, a new wave of technologies is now available for the goods production industry. The second big disruption of the IoT will be introduced by the automotive industry in terms of authentication and identification.” – Patrick Razavet (Vodafone)

“If we think about connected vehicles, we can see that we are bringing IoT disruption directly to other sectors such as insurance and also to governments, so we need to establish the physical and technological links to embrace a much bigger change that will reach more industrial sectors.” – Nicola Villa (IBM)

“There has not been a big explosion in the use of IoT but industries are moving rapidly towards the ecosystem in a process that not only involves industrial companies but also energy companies, the workforce… everything is inside it. If companies do not make the shift to be IoT companies, they will be the ones defeated by the disruption.” – John Roese (Dell Technologies)

“The disruption of the IoT will reach every industry. Consequently, it’s better to be prepared for the onset of disruption before other better-prepared companies take advantage of it before you.” – Richard Soley (IIC)

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ThingWorx 8 Delivers New Industrial-Focused Platform Features and Introduces Role-Based Manufacturing Apps.

PTC today announced from LiveWorx®17 the newest version of its ThingWorx® Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform – ThingWorx 8.

With this update, ThingWorx evolves into a more robust, comprehensive Industrial IoT technology offering for businesses looking to accelerate Industrial IoT value. ThingWorx 8 features enhanced platform capabilities, role-specific applications for engineering and manufacturing, a substantial ecosystem of partners and customers, more expansive educational programs, and a new collection of service offerings designed for Industrial IoT customers and partners. ThingWorx 8 will be commercially available on June 8, 2017.

ThingWorx is one of the fastest, most complete ways for Industrial IoT solution builders to unlock the value of the convergence between the physical and digital worlds. ThingWorx has grown alongside the Industrial IoT market, becoming one of the most widely-used and trusted ways for companies to leverage the Industrial IoT to create smart, connected operations, products, and solutions.

“We have been committed to making ThingWorx the most complete, effective platform for companies to quickly and easily tap into the value of the Industrial IoT,” said Kathleen Mitford, executive vice president, Product and Market Strategy, PTC.

“With ThingWorx 8, we are taking ThingWorx beyond its core platform capabilities with new role-based apps for manufacturing. The combination of our market-leading Industrial IoT platform and these new apps are specifically designed to quickly deliver value to companies investing in the Industrial IoT.”

The ThingWorx Platform delivers the functionality, flexibility, and agility that companies need to quickly develop and deploy Industrial IoT apps and cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) experiences. This includes industrial connectivity, analytics, application enablement, orchestration, and codeless AR experience authoring.

“The combination of the ThingWorx IoT ecosystem and our existing production systems offers us the connectivity and detailed analytics to rapidly visualize our operations, enabling further productivity and quality improvement,” said Justin Hester, senior researcher, HIROTEC Corporation. “ThingWorx complements HIROTEC’s expertise in world-class manufacturing, as opposed to forcing HIROTEC to adapt to ThingWorx.”

New ThingWorx Platform Capabilities

With ThingWorx 8, the ThingWorx Platform now offers such native platform functionality as industrial connectivity, anomaly detection, and deeper cloud support for leading cloud providers. New features found in ThingWorx 8 have been specifically designed to further the platform’s ability to make the development, deployment, and extension of Industrial IoT applications quick and easy.

In addition to these capabilities, ThingWorx Studio now supports native authoring and publishing of AR experiences for Microsoft HoloLens. ThingWorx Studio is a codeless authoring environment that enables content creators to quickly create, deploy, and consume AR experiences. With ThingWorx Studio in ThingWorx 8, content creators and developers can use the codeless AR development capabilities of ThingWorx Studio to quickly create clear, compelling experiences for the Microsoft HoloLens.

Introducing ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps

Building off of the success of the ThingWorx Navigate app, PTC is introducing a new lineup of apps for manufacturing that make it easier for companies to realize value and benefit from greater agility in their operations. The ThingWorx manufacturing apps are fast to deploy, offer role-based intelligence for proactive, faster decision making, allow for codeless app extensibility for continued innovation, and can be downloaded for free and deployed in production in under one hour. The ThingWorx manufacturing apps consist of:

• ThingWorx Controls Advisor – remotely monitor and troubleshoot machine connectivity.
• ThingWorx Asset Advisor – remotely monitor physical assets in real-time, automatically detect anomalies, and trigger alerts to improve efficiency and quality.
• ThingWorx Production Advisor – provide real-time visibility and insight into production line performance and status.

Dedicated to ThingWorx Customer Success

PTC is committed to the success of the companies choosing ThingWorx. As part of the ThingWorx 8 release, PTC Customer Success has introduced new services, available now, to help companies onboard and rapidly deploy ThingWorx. These services are part of the Customer Success organization’s comprehensive portfolio of advisory, implementation, adoption, support, and success management services to accelerate value from ThingWorx.

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Companies to Focus on IoT Technologies ThingWorx and Predix.

PTC and GE Digital today announced from GE’s Minds + Machines 2016 plans to expand their strategic alliance, first established in 2015, to bring integrated solutions to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market.

Specifically, the companies will pursue a ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ technology suite that will make it easier for joint customers to use ThingWorx to develop custom applications that run on Predix, GE’s Industrial Internet operating system. Additionally, PTC intends to sell ThingWorx coupled with GE’s Predix technology, and GE intends to sell ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ together with Predix solutions that it offers to new and existing customers.

The expansion of the collaboration between PTC and GE Digital is based on a shared vision for the Industrial Internet and defines the respective complementary roles of ThingWorx and Predix.

PTC’s ThingWorx® application enablement tools allow for rapid drag-and-drop development of IoT solutions that readily incorporate industrial automation connectivity, machine learning and predictive analytics, remote service, and powerful augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences. GE’s Predix provides an edge to cloud distributed operating system for the Industrial Internet, including edge management and analytics, cloud-based connectivity and asset management. The companies plan to leverage PTC technology as an easier means of development on Predix.

Working with GE, PTC plans to develop an optimized version of elements of its ThingWorx technology suite that would integrate tightly with Predix, making it possible for customers to enjoy the full power of ThingWorx with their Predix system. In turn, GE would deploy ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ together with Predix for its own internal manufacturing and service processes. The collaboration will explore making the complete range of ThingWorx capabilities available in ‘ThingWorx for Predix,’ including capabilities from PTC’s ThingWorx, Kepware®, and Vuforia® solutions, enabling GE and its customers to accelerate the development and deployment of Predix-based solutions. ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ would leverage the platform capabilities in Predix to store the underlying asset models and run analytics at scale.

PTC would pursue opportunities to sell joint offerings based on GE Digital’s Brilliant Manufacturing Suite or use cases where ThingWorx is integrated with Predix. GE would sell ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ IoT solutions to new and existing customers, with a focus on smart engineering, manufacturing, operations, and service.

“GE Digital is one of PTC’s most forward thinking partners, and has been working closely with us to push the boundaries of what’s possible with the convergence of the physical and digital worlds,” said Jim Heppelmann, president and CEO, PTC. “The intended expansion of our collaboration is yet another great example of what our companies are capable of achieving together, and we will work to bring increased value not just to GE and PTC, but to our respective and mutual customers.”

Jim Fowler, CIO, GE, said:

“Tools from ThingWorx with Predix the platform are two of the most powerful offerings across the entire Industrial IoT landscape. By bringing together their complementary capabilities in ThingWorx for Predix, GE aims to bring new levels of intelligence and efficiency to our internal manufacturing operations, as well as extend those benefits to our ever-growing customer base.”

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The Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Testbed integrates machine learning algorithms and models to identify machine failures, reduce maintenance costs and keep operations safe.

NI, the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, announced today that SparkCognition is partnering with NI and IBM to collaborate on the Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Testbed.

The goal of the collaboration is to deliver an unprecedented level of interoperability among operational technology and informational technology as organizations search for better methods to manage and extend the life of aging assets in heavy machinery, power generation, process manufacturing and a variety of other industrial sectors.

In a new age of Big Analog Data solutions, users can take advantage of machine learning to harness value from information. They can collect raw data and derive insights to improve operations, equipment and processes. Users can also realize huge cost savings and competitive advantages as artificial intelligence-driven prognostics warn of component failures before they occur, identify suboptimal operating conditions and assist with root-cause analysis.

NI’s open, software-centric platform creates the foundation of the Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Testbed, which delivers on the opportunities present in machine learning. Customers can apply SparkCognition’s cognitive analytics to proactively avoid unplanned equipment fatigue and failure of critical assets thus enhancing system capabilities by gaining advanced insights into equipment health and remediation solutions. These capabilities help increase operational efficiencies and safety, and decrease maintenance costs.

Stuart Gillen, director of business development at SparkCognition, said:

“With IIoT technologies driving vast sensorization of industrial equipment, and massive amounts of data being collected on those assets, the collaboration between NI and SparkCognition powers the complex and intelligent processing of information to produce valuable insights.”

“We are excited that our platform can acquire the data and extract the features to drive SparkCognition analytics for IIoT solutions,” said Jamie Smith, director of embedded systems at NI. “Combined with existing technologies in the testbed, the addition of SparkCognition presents new ways to help automate the process of turning sensor data into business insight.”

With this software-defined approach, viewing, managing and refining a broad range of assets stands in direct contrast to the traditional, fixed-functionality methods of the past, which often take too much time, rely on hard-to-find talent and require custom model building for each type of asset.

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According to IDC, manufacturing is the sector that will lead the way in worldwide IoT spending with $165.6 billion total in 2015.

Vernon Turner, SVP and IoT Research Fellow states that “manufacturing has been connecting his supply chains, products, customers, and even workers for some time now, which makes a good fit for IoT deployments, as they really embrace the value of business outcomes”.

The main benefits for IoT applications in manufacturing according to Asia Manufacturing news are increasing production efficiency by reducing cost and achieving the desired quality product with minimal wastage, reducing time-to-market, reducing operations and maintenance expenditure, increasing asset-life and monitoring the supply chain in real-time. As this influences competitiveness of manufacturers immensely, Asian manufacturers set themselves up to invest extensively to improve their global standing and become more competitive, according to the same source.

ASEAN manufacturing market
The following takes a closer look at the ASEAN market, to gain an indication of its potential for IoT implementations. In their 2014 report McKinsey stated that even though economies in the ASEAN region are at vastly different stages of development, they all share immense growth potential.

The report illustrates that the region is already a major manufacturing hub, with three developments which will further fuel its potential:

1. Implementation of the AEC integration plan, which aims to increase intra-regional and global trade, attracting more production from multinationals
2. Rising labor costs in China
3. Application of big data and mobile Internet, disruptive technologies where many ASEAN manufacturing firms lag behind their multinational counterparts.

The technology opportunity is still waiting to be harnessed in ASEAN. But manufacturers in Asia are increasingly searching for theses competitive solutions, as research by MGI stated that, disruptive technologies could increase profit margins and lower costs, potentially creating US$25 billion to US$45 billion of annual economic impact in ASEAN by 2030.

Numbers and market composition
When consulting the 2015 Frost & Sullivan IoT report, it becomes apparent, that manufacturing is one of the main IoT drivers in the APAC market. It is and will be the biggest sector in IoT spending. According to the report it contributed 30% of the IoT spending in 2014 and is expected to rise up to 32% of total spending in the APAC region by 2020, which equates to about US$ 79 billion.

The following graph displays current and expected IoT expenditure in manufacturing industries in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. We find these markets of high interest, as they are not as fiercely competed over yet, but nonetheless offer huge potential and stakeholders that look for partners and solutions to boost their competitiveness.

In its 2014 report “Understanding ASEAN: The manufacturing opportunity” McKinsey illustrated the main manufacturing industries of these four countries who could benefit from IoT solutions. In the following these points will be summed up in brief form.

• The Philippines other than its neighboring economies has been slow in the transition from agriculture to manufacturing, which results in lower levels of investment, which are spread across a broader set of industries. The semiconductor and electronics industry accounts for the majority of the country’s exports, led by large foreign investors such as Amkor, Canon, Samsung, Sunpower, and Texas Instruments. But due to its deep pool of skilled labor and a sizeable local market the Philippines has the potential of immense growth despite its relatively low levels of manufacturing investment.

• Malaysia’s economic growth can be traced back among other things to heavy investments in transport equipment and electrical machinery which represents 40 percent of its manufacturing FDI from 2009 to 2013. It might be less known for being also a hub for aerospace manufacturing, with investors such as Honeywell, JMI Aerospace, and Spirit AeroSystems establishing plants in the country. In 2013 the country’s principal investment promotion agency, MIDA, identified the following key manufacturing sector industries: Aerospace, biotechnology, advanced materials and intermediate goods manufacturing.

• Thailand is the manufacturing hub for motor vehicles and components in the ASEAN region. It currently is the 17th largest global manufacturer and number 14 in auto production, according to Industryweek. In the automotive sector the country has gained a relatively low-cost but skilled workforce through its long history of automotive manufacturing coupled with strong government support. Additionally, it has built a strong cluster of local suppliers and supporting vehicle component industries.

• Indonesia boasts an abundance of mineral resources. Therefore its main focus is primarily on basic metals manufacturing and mineral-based production, which accounted for 42 percent of the country’s manufacturing FDI from 2009 to 2013 and triggered especially Chinese investments in iron and alumina smelters in Indonesia. Other leading manufacturing sectors include automotive, fabricated metal products, plastics, and rubber. The government has additionally been pushing for an increase in foreign and domestic direct investments in sectors such as pharmaceutical manufacturing.

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Real-time plant performance and notifications sent direct to smartphones, giving managers information at their fingertips.

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) today launched a new app providing plant managers immediate notifications as well as real-time plant performance data and analytics direct to their smartphones.

Honeywell Pulse, part of Honeywell’s Industrial Internet of Things network, is the company’s newest technology enabling plant managers, supervisors and others to stay connected to their enterprise – wherever they are in the world. The app brings relevant metrics and the tools to resolve issues directly to mobile devices, helping to improve efficiency and safety.

Bruce Calder, vice president and chief technology officer for HPS, said:

“Honeywell’s IIoT is all about data, data analytics, and especially big data analytics.”

“The IIoT, cloud and mobility have really supercharged our portfolio. Honeywell Pulse gives managers and supervisors peace of mind by allowing them to receive alerts and monitor performance remotely. This allows plant personnel to respond faster to situations, whether they are planned or unplanned.”

Honeywell is well positioned to leverage the IIoT, a network of networks that uses the Internet to connect people, processes and assets, and to enable a new way to optimize business results and improve safety through increased mobility.

Honeywell recently conducted a customer mobility strategy survey which showed 65 percent of customers in the chemicals, refining, pulp and paper, and upstream oil and gas industries have a mobility strategy. It identified the top three operational areas that generate the most interest in mobility are processing facilities, field service and logistics. The survey also revealed that customers are investing in mobility in three key areas: information visibility, improved field service workflow and safety compliance.

“The survey shows, and Honeywell’s approach to mobility reflect, the need for mobility solutions in order for businesses to properly transform to meet global challenges,” said Mark Sen Gupta, senior consultant, ARC Advisory Group.

Mobility is part of Honeywell’s initiative to introduce a suite of apps that, along with new cloud functionalities, will help existing solutions deliver better business efficiencies. Honeywell Pulse, HPS’ first app built specifically for mobile devices, connects to different sources and applications across the company’s portfolio to create a more intuitive mobile experience for plant workers.

Honeywell Pulse provides:

• Timely notifications: Customize alerts according to your preference to receive proactive and timely notifications
• Alerts from multiple data sources: Enable alerts from existing Honeywell DynAMo® Alarm Management software, and OPC-compliant historians, such as Uniformance® Process History Database (PHD)
• Connectivity tools to drive collaboration: Allow use of threaded conversations to resolve and weigh in real time on issues; define alert conditions and subscribe or unsubscribe quickly and easily
• Raise situational awareness: Forward, share and receive critical alarms and events to increase situational awareness

The post Honeywell addresses Industrial Internet Of Things information distribution challenge with new mobility app appeared first on IoT Business News.

Scalable Platform Supports IIoT Deployment within Factory and to the Cloud.

Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced the formation of the IoT Factory Solutions business unit, centered on the company’s scalable platform that provides secure, robust shop floor access to both the top floor (OT to IT) and a connected ecosystem of OEMs, suppliers and customers. Pre-configured for Cloud connectivity and integration via Telit’s IoT Portal, the award-winning platform provides a quick path to the Industrial IoT (IIoT).

This focus is an integral part of Telit’s vision of connected factories, connected machines, and connected consumers and ties directly into its core IoT business. Building on 15 years of experience in industrial automation solutions deployed worldwide and connecting more than $300 billion in manufacturing assets, Telit is making it easy for customers to take advantage of the IIoT opportunity with multiple paths to deployment.

“Companies recognize the value of the Industrial IoT, sometimes referred to as Industrie 4.0,” said Fred Yentz, president and CEO of Telit IoT Platforms. “The challenge has been securely connecting high-value production equipment to enterprise systems as well as to the information consumer outside of the enterprise. Telit IoT Factory Solutions lets companies realize the full potential of the IIoT today without a huge investment of resources.”

Craig Resnick, vice president of ARC Advisory Group, said:

“Telit IoT Platforms, formerly ILS Technology, is a leading pioneer in seamlessly connecting factory equipment to enterprise applications.”

“Forward-thinking companies embrace Telit’s single, scalable solution for seamless integration of their back office with both production machines on the plant floor and remote assets in the field. Additionally, companies rely on Telit’s platform to streamline their value chain, exchanging relevant information in real-time with suppliers, field personnel, sales and customers – via the secure IoT Cloud connection.”

Telit’s IoT Factory Solutions include deviceWISE for Factory and secureWISE for the semiconductor industry. Through the IoT Portal, Telit makes IoT onboarding easy, reduces risk, time to market, complexity and costs for asset tracking, remote monitoring and control, telematics, industrial automation and other applications, across many industries and vertical markets worldwide.

“The easy-to-use deviceWISE platform changed our implementation cycle from weeks or months to minutes,” said Welton Davis, IT Lead at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. “The ability for technical personnel to grasp how to develop triggers and transports with little or no training is the best I have ever seen. Additionally, deviceWISE scales very well to handle communication with multiple devices. Its non-dependence on any other platform for communication to industrial devices enables a clear interface between the IT\MES and SCADA systems.”

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Three Telit Partners Also Recognized for IoT Leadership.

Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that the Telit deviceWISE platform won Best Industrial IoT Solution at this year’s IoT Evolution Expo Battle of the Platforms. The award was given for the first time at this year’s event in recognition of the growing importance of IoT in industrial automation. In addition, Telit issued the prestigious 2016 deviceWISE Partner Awards, recognizing three companies for IoT innovation: SAP won the award for Enterprise Integration Partner, Red Lion won Device Partner, and Swisscom won the Mobile Network Operator award.

“Battle of the Platforms is a great opportunity for market leaders to differentiate themselves by providing a competitive look at their solutions,” said Carl Ford, CEO, Crossfire Media, executive director of content, IoT Evolution.

“Telit’s Industrial IoT platform stood out for its ability to quickly and easily integrate heterogeneous manufacturing technologies with enterprise applications without programming.”

Prior to the battle, Telit hosted Telit IoT Innovation, designed to inspire and educate companies and developers looking to capitalize on IoT applications. The event featured use cases from several Telit ecosystem partners including keynote presentations by Oliver Mainka, Product Manager for Predictive Maintenance & Service, SAP and Dr. Jason Hallstrom, Director, Institute for Sensing & Embedded Network Systems Engineering, Florida Atlantic University.

“Telit IoT Innovation provides tremendous value to participants by leveraging the experience of Telit and our vast ecosystem to help companies in all industries innovate and accelerate time to market,” said Fred Yentz, CEO of Telit IoT Platforms. “We thank all of our partners for making this event a success and especially thank our Gold Sponsors: Arrow, Hi-Mix, QuickLogic and Sprint. We also congratulate the winners of this year’s deviceWISE Partner Awards.”

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Statistical Process Control (SPC) reborn in IIoT as the companies join forces to help manufacturers improve their decision-driving processes.

Wi-NEXT®, the global Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) edgeware hardware and software provider, today announced a partnership with IBM® for the delivery of predictive and quality analytics for manufacturers. The companies’ combined solution offers an advanced analytics platform that is especially useful in the fast-moving consumer goods and food service industries.

The traditional limits of Statistical Process Control (SPC) are lifted with this partnership. Using Wi-NEXT’s IIoT hardware and IBM’s Predictive Quality and Maintenance (PMQ) software, Wi-NEXT is able to offer a combined solution unparalleled in the IIoT industry. Customers can use the analytics provided by PMQ to optimize uptime, operations, and plant management through the use of sophisticated IIoT processes and data. It will be sold through Wi-NEXT’s existing channels and IBM’s partners and is ideal for both in-Cloud and on-premise applications.

“Small changes in productivity equal large gains for the bottom line, and this is even more true in industries with low margins and high competition, such as with fast moving consumer goods and food service where the investment to achieve even a one-percent productivity increase or cost savings is relevant,” said Armando Pereira, CEO of Wi-NEXT Inc.

“Thanks to this strategic partnership with IBM, Wi-NEXT will now provide a wealth of new data analytics to identify inefficiencies and make operational actions we have never seen before and with a clear and simple-to-understand return on investment for our clients.”

According to the latest Industrial Internet Insight Report from Accenture, 42% of the interviewed manufacturers rank Big Data as their highest priority and there is a sense of urgency felt by respondents in implementing Industrial Internet solutions. Wi-NEXT is poised to capitalize on this market with its multi-award winning IIoT solutions, enabling manufacturers to move from simple connectivity of their industrial assets to true Internet-based integration with enterprise-grade applications.

Predictive Maintenance and SPC 2.0
Manufacturing is evolving and adopting IIoT to improve quality and process control systems while optimizing the lifecycle of machines by incorporating the communication and automation technologies that have existed in industrial settings for years.

Wi-NEXT understands that in supply chain or manufacturing operations, “time is money” when it comes to detecting quality and operational issues. The Wi-NEXT and IBM joint proposal includes not only traditional SPC, but also sophisticated algorithms that can help companies to predict where, when and why asset failures are likely to occur as well as flag early identification of poor quality issues.

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Company sees the Internet of Things pushing the bounds of possibility, disrupting traditional business models.

FreeWave Technologies, Inc., a leader in industrial, secure Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) wireless networking solutions, today announced five bold Industrial IoT (IIoT) predictions for 2016. For more than 20 years, industry leaders have depended on FreeWave to communicate critical information across networks – more reliably and securely than any other wireless M2M communications company in the marketplace. With the burgeoning IIoT market and the growing ways companies are finding to connect devices via mobile, web and in the cloud, rapid and constant change will be the norm, the company says. It believes these factors will contribute to significant changes in the way technologies will be used – or even, in some cases, not used.

Prediction #5: RF Companies will be Obsolete by 2019

According to FreeWave CEO Kim Niederman:

“Discrete Radio Frequency (RF)-based technology manufacturers will be obsolete within the next three years. The catalyst that will drive this change will be the open standards in place that eventually will commoditize the market by bringing backwards compatibility and interoperability between different radio manufacturers.”

Prediction #4: 802.11ah will be Released in Mid-2016 to Quick Adoption

According to Brad Gilbert, director of product management at FreeWave, this new wireless networking standard will quickly take off because of the following factors:

• Unifies GHz and sub-GHz bands with a Wi-Fi protocol :
• Reduces the need for protocol conversions and gateways
• Allows highly congested 2.4GHz band to now be offloaded to either 5GHz or 900MHz
• Addresses long range communication and battery operation not met with existing 802.11 standards :
• Much needed for IIoT applications
• Better RF propagation than 2.4GHz or 5GHz
• Offers chipset availability

Prediction #3: Predictive Analytics will Change the Nature of Industrial Communication Systems

According to Scott Allen, CMO at FreeWave:
“There are two elements at work that will push predictive analytics to the forefront of industrial communication systems. The first is the advancement of technology. Big data companies are making serious progress with comparing data-at-rest with data-in-motion as a strong basis for predicting outcomes with maximum accuracy. As the network infrastructure advances at the access layer in ways that allow analytic applications to be executed locally while communicating globally this trend will do nothing but accelerate. The second element that will drive change is the retiring or soon-to-be-retiring workforce that drove the implementation and use of SCADA networks. This will create a knowledge gap that will require new technology to fill that void – and predictive analytics will be the one that fills the gap.”

Prediction #2: Major Security Breach Will Propel Government Regulations in IoT

According to Tim Mester, principal engineer of advanced technology at FreeWave:
“As IoT/IIoT data and control becomes more sensitive and critical, there will be a growing concern regarding the robustness these devices will have on our lives as we become increasingly dependent on them. Therefore, there will be a surge of government regulations that mandate the levels of security and reliability for IoT and IIoT devices.”

Prediction #1: Major Security Breach of an Industrial SCADA System Will Bring a New Focus to IoT

According to Glenn Longley, regional manager for energy markets at FreeWave:
“There will be a major security breach of an industrial SCADA system in 2016 which will drive industrial organizations to shift to more of a focus on IoT and newer, more secure communication systems. Each company is different in how it handles the influx of IoT and the resulting IT/OT convergence. With the merging of Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT), the firewall that separates the two becomes more complicated and less well-defined. Traditionally, each was a separate entity; however, with IP-enabled devices and blending of technologies in the enterprise, that dividing line will become less clear. IT and OT professionals might put a different emphasis on security, but in 2016, the two will need to come together (more than ever before) to prioritize it in their quest to create end points for all of their field assets. Therefore, security will ultimately be the limiting factor on how much IIoT is deployed.”

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In order to seamlessly integrate industrial data into the Industrial Internet of Things, a new communications platform is needed. Tony Paine, CEO of Kepware Technologies, identifies the requirements and features of such a platform.

One of the biggest challenges in establishing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will be seamlessly Internet-enabling the ‘Things’ that live at the edge of the network. Industry-wide, this area contains trillions of Things that contain one or many data points that may need to be analysed and combined into information.

For IIoT to be successful, several challenges need to be overcome, including the ability to:

• Identify Things within the Internet.
• Enable the discovery of Things and the data they possess.
• Collect, move and archive the massive amounts of data produced by the Things.
• Handle intermittent to long term outages in connectivity.
• Integrate existing infrastructure into new IIoT strategies.

In order to alleviate some of these challenges, IIoT strategies will focus on pushing data into a centralised cloud platform. This platform and its corresponding services will be administered by IT experts familiar with the managed world of IP and made available to anyone with the proper credentials and an Internet connection. Leveraging the power of cloud computing and its multitudinous resources will make the required storage and processing power available to handle the zettabytes of data that will be collected, analysed and archived. Furthermore, the overall uptime of these platforms continues to trend upwards as they become more resilient to the increasing demand and expectations of our connected world.

Communicating with devices on the Edge
The actual source of data pushed into the cloud resides within the Industrial Things that live at the edge of the network. The edge bridges the gap between IT and Operational Technology (OT), where the rich resources available in the cloud are not directly available. OT encompasses industrial networks that have their own nuances and introduce additional challenges.

Connecting disparate communications mediums
Very often, industrial networking technologies do not leverage Ethernet as their physical communications layer. Depending on the environment and the Things that comprise a system, anything from RS232/485 to modems or proprietary wiring may be encountered. Likewise, the data protocols that are exposed over these communication mediums are not likely to be IP derivatives. Consequently, a hodge-podge of industrial networks has been created with no attention paid to the future possibility of being connected to the Internet.

Utilising non-standard methods of identification
Unlike IP addresses in the IT world, many industrial Things have their own addressable schemes for uniquely identifying themselves on the network. These schemes vary by vendor and type, and may not have built-in discovery mechanisms. Innate knowledge by an integration expert is required to interconnect the Things in a way that makes them function as a whole.

Determining a request/response model
Industrial Things have historically followed a request/response model. If a particular Thing is interested in a piece of data contained in another Thing, it will make an appropriate connection, request the piece of data and wait for a response containing the result. Although this pull model is fine for Things living within the same digital boundary of OT, security and scalability requirements will dictate that this model is unacceptable for the outside IT world trying to look inbound. Instead, IIoT prefers a push model, where industrial data flows outbound to a cloud platform.

IIoT Edge Solution
In order to seamlessly integrate industrial data into IIoT, a new communications platform is required. This platform requires extensive knowledge of the intricate realm of OT and the state-of-the-art and rapidly changing domain of IT.

Within OT, the platform must understand the various network topologies and data protocols that will be encountered. It must be able to automatically discover and identify industrial Things and the data they contain, as well as be able to handle the storage of high frequency updates.

Within IT, the platform must be able to transform the data it collects and push it into the cloud via IIoT standards. Emerging standards include Asynchronous Messaging Queuing Protocol (AMQP), Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), and Data Description Services (DDS). These standards allow for the retransmission of data in the event it does not reach its destination.

With the lack of computer networking infrastructure in OT, this platform must be embeddable and run within a standalone appliance or an edge-based switch or router where IT and OT converge. Its flexibility will enable industrial data to be sampled cyclically or based on some event or condition and be published to the cloud independently of data collection. Data filtering should be available through basic analytics. Lastly, user setup should be minimal by automating as much configuration as possible.

As industry continues to define IIoT, the concepts and realisation of the optimal Embedded IIoT solution will continue to evolve.

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AirLink® Raven RV50 gateway provides mission-critical LTE communication and remote monitoring for industrial IoT applications, including utilities, oil and gas, and infrastructure.

Sierra Wireless today announced the launch of the AirLink® Raven RV50 gateway — the LTE successor to the market’s most widely deployed cellular gateway solution for energy and industrial applications, the AirLink® Raven series.

The AirLink® Raven RV50 offers a truly rugged design and the lowest power consumption of any LTE industrial gateway, providing reliable connectivity for the most demanding remote applications, even when solar panels are the only available source of power.

Jason Krause, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions for Sierra Wireless, said:

“The Raven RV50 is an ideal migration path for customers to cost-effectively upgrade to LTE technology for their industrial IoT applications, while providing additional functionality to enable new solutions such as remote video surveillance.”

“The RV50 consumes the same low level of power as our 2G and 3G Raven gateways, so it can be installed directly into existing infrastructure without the need to increase capacity.”

Industrial infrastructure is often unmanned, remote, and critical to business operations. To ensure safety, security, and uninterrupted operation, a remote monitoring and control system is essential for applications such as SCADA, on pipelines and in power distribution, and intelligent traffic management systems. The AirLink Management Service (ALMS) — a cloud management solution ranked “best-in-class” by ABI Research—provides remote device management for the RV50, as well as alerting and monitoring of key variables such as signal strength, location, temperature and voltage.

Offering intelligence at the edge, the Raven RV50 includes the ALEOS Application Framework (AAF), a powerful embedded programming environment for on-board data gathering, real-time data processing and alert generation. The application framework also enables the delivery of critical real-time data and information, reliably and securely over LTE networks, to the Sierra Wireless IoT Acceleration Platform or to other software applications and operational systems.

The AirLink Raven RV50 is the first product of its kind to offer SIM-based network operator switching – just insert the SIM into the gateway and it automatically configures the new network settings. The RV50 ships as a single product variant that works on all major North American networks, simplifying the ordering and inventory process, and providing unmatched flexibility in managing deployments. Customers can take advantage of the best network coverage in remote areas without increasing complexity.

What customers and partners are saying:

“We tested the Raven RV50 to provide LTE, lower power connectivity for SCADALynx, and we were impressed by how quickly the Raven RV50 integrated with our software,” says Ryan McDonald, CIO of eLynx Technologies. “We’re also really excited about the network operator switching capability of the Raven RV50 — it provides a new level of flexibility for our inventory and provisioning processes. We plan on standardizing the Raven RV50 as our primary cellular gateway—given its highly compatible management platform, performance features and reliability, we feel it is an ideal solution for our customers.”

“We tested the new AirLink Raven RV50 as a replacement for the Raven X, and found that it works flawlessly – we didn’t need to make any modifications to our software,” says Neil Hurst, Engineering Manager, Products of EDM International, Inc. “We are very pleased with this new product – in particular, its very fast boot-up time and low power consumption.”

“The Raven RV50 offers a huge jump in functionality at the same power consumption as the original AirLink Raven. Industrial customers in particular can now look at adding new functionality like video surveillance to their remote infrastructure, which improves their day-to-day management and the security of these remote assets,” said Mark Gianinni, CEO of Accel Networks.

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Daintree Networks®, the leader in open networked wireless building control and operation solutions for smart buildings, today announced that is has collaborated with Peerless Research Group (PRG) on behalf of Modern Materials Handling and surveyed hundreds of warehouse professionals to better understand how enterprises are embracing and adopting the Internet of Things (IoT).

The results showed that while IoT adoption is clearly still in its early stages, over 10 percent have programs underway or in the planning stages, and 30 percent acknowledge that IoT is a reality today in the industry. These findings along with other results in the survey support that the IoT is now moving from concept to practical application in the industrial and warehouse environments.

“The full survey includes valuable insights regarding organizational challenges, planned green initiatives, and perspectives on employee comfort and more, but the IoT information was the most compelling,” explained Mandeep Khera, VP of Marketing and Channels, Daintree Networks, Inc.

“While the overall understanding of the concept is still low, it’s changing. Over half of the respondents are now familiar with the IoT, and a significant portion believe the IoT will be very important to operational efficiency. It is clear that warehouse decision-makers still need more information and education about IoT. But the results confirm that an increasing number of decision makers understand that by adopting IoT technologies, organizations can monitor multiple applications and leverage control solutions to enable greater energy efficiencies and reduce costs. Daintree will continue to raise awareness for IoT and with its open standards-driven solutions, narrow the chasm between Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) functions for all organizations including the industrial and warehouse sector.”

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The promise of connecting everything within an industrial environment, to get complete operational visibility and allow for the best real-time decisions, will transform how we manufacture for years to come. The premise for this next industrial evolution is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), says Tony Paine, CEO of Kepware Technologies.

As industry looks to build out the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), its biggest challenge will be seamlessly Internet-enabling the ‘Things’ that live at the edge of the network. Industry-wide, this area contains trillions of Things that contain one or many data points that may need to be analysed and combined into information.

IIoT sets its sights on Internet-enabling all hardware and software components (the “Things”) that comprise an automation system. This will allow for smarter automation, where Things can share information with other Things and adapt their behaviour, to achieve optimum performance. In addition, personnel responsible for the operations of the system will be able to remotely assess and manipulate all aspects of such systems, without the need for dedicated on-site expertise.

These benefits are contingent upon the resolution of key challenges; most notably the interchange of data between the mechanical, digital and human components of an industrial automation process.

Today, however, there are several cultural and technological changes that are impacting the scale and speed of the creation of the IIoT.

New ‘big data’ software vendors are entering the market, looking to provide products to consolidate data, unify legacy solutions, and bridge the gap between external and internal operations.

In tandem with such software products, hardware technology is becoming lower-cost, allowing for unlocking of previously unavailable data from low-level sensors.

Furthermore, our society’s reliance upon Internet technologies permeates all aspects of life, with the next generation of industrial engineers growing up with the assumption that industrial data will be available, rich, easy to use, and everywhere.

And finally, multi-site data connectivity will assist with strategies at the enterprise level, with competitive advantages to be gained by moving beyond traditional organisational boundaries, to use and involve third parties.

As already mentioned, the biggest challenge to building the IIoT will be seamlessly integrating the Things that live at the edge of the network. The edge of the network is the furthest removed from the Information Technology (IT) we have become accustomed to using when Internet connectivity is required.

Challenge 1: Identifying Things within the Internet
In order for Things to be able to communicate with each other, they need to be uniquely identifiable within the Internet. Historically, this has been accomplished through a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. As industry looks ahead to the trillions of Things that will be connected, focus has been placed on adopting the Ipv6 standard, which defines a 128-bit address capable of uniquely identifying 340 undecillionth (340 x 1036) addressable items (compared with only 4 billion addressable items using today’s Ipv4 standard).

This range will more than cover the requirements of IIoT. However, it will be difficult – if not impossible – to manage this effectively on a global Internet scale. Typically, such tasks have historically been achieved by Naming and Number Authorities, with the aid of Network Administrators, but this will likely be an impediment, as Things become added at an unprecedented rate.

Challenge 2: Discovering Things and the data they possess
Once a Thing can be identified, the next challenge is how other interested parties will discover that it exists and what data it possesses. Of course, a Thing should be able to restrict discovery of some or all of its data, based on security requirements. Balancing ease of discovery with the rigid constraints of security will be fundamental to the success of IIoT and must be achievable without a PhD in cyber security.

Challenge 3: Managing massive amounts of data
These trillions of Things will produce something much larger than trillions of data points, all of which will need to be collected, analysed and possibly archived. Moving this amount of data over the Internet will consume new levels of bandwidth, which could result in the degradation of service as well as higher costs for Internet carriers, service providers, and ultimately end users. Moreover, archiving this data for future analysis will require massive amounts of data storage and a new generation of scalable analytical applications capable of honing in on individual points of interest, in a timely manner.

Challenge 4: Navigating connectivity outages
The Things that make up IIoT, as well as the communication mediums that link them together, will not be available 100 per cent of the time, resulting in intermittent or even long term outages. This could severely impact systems where data loss is unacceptable or where variances in the data needs to be known in real-time.

Challenge 5: Integrating existing infrastructure into new IIoT strategies
For decades, Industrial Things have made data accessible over private, site networks, through the implementation of open or proprietary protocols. And in the past, complexities such as security have largely been ignored, in order to achieve optimisation and integration between dissimilar industrial systems, within a private environment. Given that the typical lifecycle for industrial Things exceeds 20 years, there will be an expectation to integrate the existing into new IIoT strategies. Opening these private networks and the data they contain to the Internet will require detailed security assessments to minimise risk of exploitation.

The post The challenges of creating The Industrial Internet of Things appeared first on IoT Business News.

OSIsoft customers have now licensed over 1 billion streams of sensor data across 125 countries and 17,000 industrial sites.

OSIsoft, a global leader enabling operational intelligence, announced that its flagship product, the PI System, has reached a significant milestone. Customers are using over 1 billion streams of sensor-based data to connect people and machines with visualization and analytics tools to deliver data driven insights for process productivity, asset health, energy efficiency, quality tracking, regulatory reporting and safety & security.

OSIsoft introduced the PI System over 30 years ago, before the term Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) was coined, and shares over 1100 case studies that illustrates how companies have benefited from rich sensor data streams. Today over 65% of the Fortune 500 Industrial companies from Power & Utilities, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, Metals & Mining, Pulp & Paper, to Data Centers are leveraging data from IoT to drive business and operational decisions. The PI System provides over 450 integrations to sensors, systems and analytics tools, with customer deployments ranging from a single site to hundreds of sites, from a few hundred sensors to millions of data streams in a single deployment, and at read rates ranging from a few times a day to tens of milliseconds per measurement.

“The promise of connected machines and devices, in other words, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), will drive more data, in more formats, in more locations – adding to the complexity of industrial data ecosystems,” said Martin Otterson, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Industry at OSIsoft.

“Companies wanting to embrace smart supply and smart manufacturing through availability of lower cost sensor data and improved connectivity need to strategize on the data infrastructure that will ensure data is reliably captured and presented to the right tools for impactful decisions”.

The PI System is an open enterprise data infrastructure that enables global enterprises to gather streaming real-time sensor data from multiple sources, and efficiently store, contextualize, process and share data for advanced visualization and analytics. For software and machine vendors, the PI System offers a mature platform to extend products to support and embrace IIoT. The PI System eliminates silos of information to deliver a single point of consistent and contextual historical, real-time and predicted information to facilitate data-driven decisions across industrial operations.

With the advent of low cost advanced sensor technologies and improved secure network connectivity, new business models are being enabled that allow data sharing across enterprises. OSIsoft is a leader in the Connected Services market, which allows OEMs and after-market service providers to remotely monitor assets and processes, enabling data-driven real-time optimization by the experts. This transformative business model has the potential to expose new customer interactions, services and revenue.

Marine organismes monitor the effect of the total water ambient

“Biota Guard has chosen OSIsoft’s PI System to make sure we have the leading system in data mining, visualization and IT security,” said Bjørnar Lingjerde, Chief Technology Officer at Biota Guard. “The PI System covers almost all aspects in our daily data flow process which makes our operations easy to manage. Several of our biggest customers already use the PI System which makes the job easier both when selling our products and during installation.”
 

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Award winning Wi-NEXT® today announced the launch of a new product in its WiseMesh® product family: the Wi-NEXT End Node Digital.

This is the only device today that can connect Modbus, CANbus, Profibus and general digital machinery for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) via a Wi-Fi network. With Wi-NEXT End Node Digital, it is possible to connect to the Wi-Fi infrastructure of the plant via RS485 or Ethernet ports in a flexible, energy-efficient way, with a very low impact on the deployment or overall project cost.

Until now, the connection of digital machines was done via wired connection or wireless narrowband analog protocol interface. Wired solutions have a high cost of implementation and a lack of flexibility. Narrowband analog wireless protocols require interfaces to convert the data into a digital format ready for an IP interface. This additional layer of complexity makes the implementation inefficient and expensive. With the Wi-NEXT End Node Digital, a wide variety of digital machines can be installed, anywhere on the factory floor, and even quickly reconfigured when necessary, at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions on the market.

“As manufacturing is evolving and adopting newer technologies, some machines pre-date the concept of remote connectivity,” said Armando Pereira, CEO of Wi-NEXT.
“There are millions if not billions of these valuable legacy machines that are completely disconnected. They are ‘invisible’ to the network and very expensive to maintain.”

“Besides connecting these invisible assets, the Wi-NEXT solution has the capacity to enable value-added services such as predictive maintenance, energy efficiency audits, and usage reports, plus handle the ever increasing data transmission via a state-of-the art open-standards broadband Wi-Fi infrastructure.”

Big data is also moving to the factory floor, interconnecting more sophisticated machines to users with an ever increasing “thirst” for real-time management data. This data needs to be collected, transported to the data center, analyzed and trigger intelligent decisions on the factory floor. Delays, interference or even interruptions are all undesirable outcomes. As such, distributed edge computing has become state-of-the-art with valuable contributions in mission-critical environments such as a factory floor. By moving part of the traditional Cloud capabilities to the networks’ edge, next to where the machines are located, efficiency improves and failure rates decrease as latency and other network interruptions are eliminated.

Wi-Next IIoT WiFi node

For more information about Wi-NEXT End Node Digital features or the full WiseMesh® family of products, please visit http://www.wi-next.com/products/

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According to ABI Research the increasing adoption of IoT within industrial settings will result in a substantial growth of the number of connected industrial devices, in particular industrial control devices like PLCs.

The research firm estimates that over the period from 2014 to 2020, the number of connected industrial controllers will triple; growing at an average rate of 20%.

Eugenio Pasqua, Research Analyst at ABI Research, comments:

“Compared to the general-purpose conventional networks, industrial networks are characterized by a large variety of technologies and communication protocols, whose combination is determined by the requirements of the specific application they address.”

“As a consequence, there is typically little interoperability with conventional networks, but also between different industrial networks. Sharing data among different facilities or with the higher levels of an enterprise remains a very challenging task within this context.”

The technological advances of the past decade are, however, slowly changing this. The diffusion of Ethernet and IP-based industrial protocols, as well as the improved intelligence of industrial devices, have reduced the differences between conventional and industrial networks. This enables an easier interconnection between enterprise IT applications and OT systems, including the industrial equipment and the associated software, such as SCADA. Firms like ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation are among the major vendors helping industrial organizations in this technological shift.

“Through the adoption of IoT technologies, industrial organizations can make better use of the huge amount of data generated inside their facilities and extract more meaningful information. This allows a better vision of what happens along the whole supply chain, achieving better performance at lower operating costs and the ability to react faster to changes or issues.”
As Pasqua concludes: “The number of potential benefits as well as the increasing pressure from the market are pushing industrial organizations towards this direction, and in the near future we will see more and more industrial facilities opening up their ‘silos’ and sharing their data with the higher levels of the enterprise, connecting their operational and business domains.”

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