The Internet of Things Effect on Manufacturing

Considering the concept is still a relatively new one, the Internet of Things (IoT) has already grabbed a great deal of attention in the industrial space for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons include: greater operational efficiencies, better top and bottom line management, supply chain streamlining, and improved decision making based on better and more timely delivery of data—just to name a few.

But at the core of interest in the industrial IoT is the realization that manufacturers already have much of the architecture in place to start testing and refining the concept in the real world. That architecture is comprised of the sensors, historians, HMIs (mobile or fixed), and analysis software that are practically ubiquitous throughout industry.

At The Automation Conference 2015, Dr. Richard Solely, executive director of the Industrial Internet Consortium, clarified for attendees exactly how the IoT is already playing out across industry. Some of the key takeaways from his presentation include:

• The difference between the consumer and industrial IoT;
• The convergence of operations and information technologies that are behind the industrial IoT;
• Current roadblocks to widespread adoption of the IoT;
• How dozens of companies—both end users and suppliers—are already working together to make the industrial IoT a reality for companies of all sizes; and
• Insight into some of the near-term capabilities and technologies that the industrial IoT is already making possible.

Below is a video connecting the audio portion of the Dr. Solely’s speech with the slides from his presentation at The Automation Conference 2015 so that you can experience it for yourself.