Industrial IoT Gets Needed Technology Boost from Vendors

For many businesses, the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has yet to take hold. Most are well aware of the concept, but have little practical experience with the intricacies of IoT deployments, or else lack a strategy for taking advantage of IoT. Lately, though, new tools and better approaches have become available to help move firms still on the sidelines to the playing field.

OSIsoft Cornering Collaboration

For example, OSIsoft has developed several ways of collaborating so clients can get the most from their operational data. The company is working with Amazon Web Services to simplify the analytics process that kicks in when a firm uses OSIsoft’s PI System. Also, the company has a new deal with Nokia whereby the two firms will jointly develop new business models based on integrating IoT with private LTE networks. The aim is to help customers more easily deploy predictive maintenance and communication infrastructure. Lastly, in the utility sector, OSIsoft is helping Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) use the PI System in a newer way, providing remote monitoring and real-time alerts to reduce grid downtime.

Sprint Looks to Capture the Small and Medium Business Market

US wireless carrier Sprint is another firm supplying a new IoT tool, in this case aimed not only at larger firms but also the often overlooked small and medium business market. Sprint has created its IoT Factory, an online marketplace offering pre-packaged IoT solutions. The marketplace is a collaborative effort that includes strategic partners myDevices, a creator of drag-and-drop IoT devices, and the Goldie Group, a firm that provides lifecycle services in the electronics and wireless industries.

Let’s Talk about Progress

Progress, a provider of application development and deployment technologies, has come out with a new self-service anomaly detection and prediction tool for the IIoT market. The firm’s DataRPM is said to be a first-of-its-kind offering that enables R&D and innovation groups to enhance their decision-making capabilities during IIoT proof-of-concept or piloting projects. The new tool is hosted on AWS, which is offering free trials of Progress’ DataRPM to qualified manufacturers.

And Then There’s Microsoft

Finally, Microsoft is forging ahead with efforts to promote its Azure IoT Edge capabilities. At its annual Build conference, the software giant announced that it is open-sourcing Azure IoT Edge Runtime, launching Project Kinect for Azure, and further embracing Kubernetes. What this means is Microsoft is all in on IoT. This was underscored by the announcement earlier in the year that it is tripling its previous spending on IoT.

Small Steps Add Up

Individually, these might appear to be mere small steps in the evolution of the IIoT market. Taken together, however, these efforts illustrate the type of technology development momentum necessary to drive adoption. These strategic moves should help reduce the complexities involved in IoT projects.

This is just the type of market development anticipated in Guidehouse Insights’ most recent report on the subject, Industrial Internet of Things. The report notes how, unlike consumer markets for IoT, the industrial or enterprise adoption pace will be more measured in the near term, with a surge coming later. That pace is likely given how many companies take a more restrained approach to new technology. Established companies will be hesitant to fully adopt until the evidence shows that they will get the necessary ROI.