Executive Voices 4 mins read

How IoT is Changing the World

The Internet of Things is changing the world we live in. Bernd Gross, CTO at Software AG, explains how.

Bernd Gross Bernd Gross

By now you have heard all the hype about the Internet of Things: billions of connected devices, self-driving cars, refrigerators that order the milk.

But, so far, you think your world hasn’t changed all that much – right?

In reality it has changed a great deal – and this is only the beginning. Real value is already being delivered in sectors like industrial IoT, logistics, smart cities, utilities, telecommunications and more.

Consultants at Gartner still consider IoT an emergent technology: “By 2022, 25% of large industrial enterprises will implement a multi-vendor IIoT platform architecture, up from less than 10% today*.”

Meantime, the uptake appears tentative. Why? There are some barriers to entry. Some of the initial obstructions you may encounter are a lack of understanding, and agreement on vision and goals. So, how do you get past these?

The first thing to determine is what you want to achieve. Are you looking to monitor IoT-enabled equipment to detect faults? Or do you want to go further and predict when something might fail? Maybe you’d like to be able to manage your industrial assets’ integration and full life cycle.

Let’s look at these objectives separately with some real-life examples.

  1. Real-time monitoring of connected devices is important because it can measure things like vibrations, temperature and usage – telling you when equipment is broken or ready to fail.
  • A good example here is Gardner Denver. By embedding IoT technology in its products and implementing a comprehensive IoT platform, Gardner Denver can minimize the downtime of its compressors in the field. Real-time fault detection means it quickly gets broken equipment serviced and back to work, helping the company manage its part replacement and repair cycles more efficiently too.
  • An industrial sewing machine manufacturer detected configuration faults with IoT monitoring and radically improved service to its customers – most issues could be resolved remotely without an onsite service visit.
  1. Predictive analytics for equipment involves adding an analytics layer on top of IoT device management platforms. This gives organizations the ability to use the data in models that can predict faults or failures before they happen.
  • Gardner Denver’s iConn can view and analyze key operating data generated from a compressor, to provide predictive maintenance solutions that enable innovative outcomes.
  • manufacturer of steam generators monitors 60 operational parameters on each generator and sends the data into its business analysis system, allowing rapid deployment and refinement of fault detection and prevention.
  1. For connected industrial assets, IoT allows manufacturers to share data across stakeholders and partners, driving asset optimization and improving automation and control.
  • Dürr AG uses IoT to autonomously manage the operation of its robotic paint stations, based on sensor data, to improve critical quality and efficiency – and lowering costs.

All of these companies have something in common: They use the Cumulocity IoT platform.

Cumulocity IoT delivers quick device configuration to establish real-time monitoring of assets. It offers integrated analytics engines including Apama, Zementis and TrendMiner to enable streaming, predictive and self-service analytics.  And Software AG’s participation in ADAMOS, the IIoT joint venture with Dürr AG, DMG Mori, Zeiss AG and ASM Pacific Technology, demonstrates our commitment to – and domain knowledge of – industrial use cases.

This is why we have recently been recognized by Gartner in its new Critical Capabilities for Industrial IoT Platforms report*.  Software AG received the highest score in every use case – monitoring, predictive analytics for equipment, and connected industrial assets – for our IoT Platform Cumulocity IoT.

IoT is changing the world, and we are leading that change – with Cumulocity IoT.

Our partners agree: “Our strategic partnership to scale our Cloud of Things Platform is focused on delivering successful services and introducing new functionalities to our customers,” said Rami Avidan, Head of Internet of Things (IoT) Business at Deutsche Telekom. “Software AG’s excellence in IoT capabilities gives us the confidence that we will deliver the very best and expand into new sectors.

Click below to learn more.

*Critical Capabilities for Industrial IoT Platforms, Gartner 26 June, 2019, Analyst(s): Alfonso Velosa, Ted Friedman, Emil Berthelsen, Peter Havart-Simkin, Eric Goodness