Category

Internet of Things (IoT)

Aug 08
Triple Self Portrait (Norman Rockwell, 1960)

Digital Twins: Is More Better?

By Internet of Things (IoT), IT Strategy, PLM 2 Comments

The Digital Twin

A digital twin is a live digital representation of a physical asset. It is a cyber-physical mockup that represents both the physical instance and its broad business context in which it operates, from inception to end of life.

The digital twin acts on behalf of connected physical objects by receiving alerts and notifications, sending instructions and updates, and providing real-time information on their state and health to the owners, operators, and maintainers of these assets.

The digital twin is an integral part of the assets’ lifecycle activities. Beyond enabling remote connectivity and control flow, a digital twin must be able to curate a rich decision-making context of a broad spectrum of information and lifecycle activities such as configuration, service entitlement, and maintenance and upgrade history.

Can I Get One, Too?

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Jul 10
An Old Woman Weighing Gold Coins (Rembrandt School, 17th Century)

The ROI of IoT: Quantifying the Strategic Value of IoT

By Business Strategy, Internet of Things (IoT) One Comment

The Digital Transformation: From Conduits to Content

In the earlier days of the Internet of Things, the industry was obsessed with the magnitude of the network and forecasting how many millions and billions connected “things” it will encompass. As it turned out, those predictions were mostly overblown, vague and inconsistent.

But the hypothetical ability to connect billions of devices to the Internet is of little or no consequence to most industrial companies. Of course, telecom companies, wireless carriers, and semiconductor manufacturers see growth opportunities across many industrial sectors, but these numbers are meaningless to an organization that is trying to harness the IoT to optimize and grow its business and its customers’ business.

The fascination with astronomical number of connected devices is finally subsiding and the conversation is moving gradually from data pipes and conduits to utilizing their content to create business value. Read More

Jun 23

PTC and Rockwell Automation Partnership: A New Era of PLM Competition Begins

By Internet of Things (IoT), Mergers & Acquisitions No Comments

PLM software vendor PTC and factory automation equipment maker Rockwell Automation recently announced  a partnership agreement. As reported, Rockwell is making a $1 billion equity investment in PTC to acquire 10.6 million newly-issued PTC shares and will become its third-largest shareholder. Rockwell will also get a seat at PTC’s board of directors.

This partnership is significant and will change the balance among the top-tier PLM and factory automation vendors for years to come.

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May 07
Drawing Hands (M.C. Escher, 1948)

The Internet of Things and Blockchain: When Overhyped Technologies Intersect

By Internet of Things (IoT) 2 Comments

What’s the role of blockchain technology in the industrial Internet of Things?

This is a question I am frequently asked during my webinars, lectures, and casual conversations about Internet of Things. Many argue that blockchain technology is the missing element that will now fuel the rapid growth in IoT and bring the value we’ve been promised by vendors and pundits, while other observers believe that both technologies are still nascent and overhyped and will take time to mature and prove value.

When blockchain and IoT technologies, each promising to revolutionize all aspects of our lives, are brought together, do they result in something greater than the sum of their parts? Or is it yet another case of overhyped technologies that cause much excitement but are slow to mainstream and deliver on the promise? Read More

Apr 23
The Red Queen (Sir John Tenniel, 1871)

Connected Assets Drive Business Agility

By Business Strategy, Internet of Things (IoT) One Comment

Business Agility

All organizations are constantly looking for ways to improve productivity, streamline internal processes, respond to changing business circumstances, and serve customers better and quicker.

But today’s ever-changing global markets present threats and opportunities at every turn. Since 2000, more than half the companies in the Fortune 500 have either been acquired or merged, gone bankrupt, or joined their peers in the graveyard of failed businesses. These organizations failed to recognize and respond quickly enough to the pace of change. Poor business agility led to their demise.

Business leaders are worried. A new research reveals that two thirds of C-suite executives believe that 40 percent of the Fortune 500 will not exist in 10 years.

Organizations must perform better and faster to remain competitive, as the Red Queen from Through the Looking Glass observed: “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” Read More