Internet of Things


Embracing the Industrial Internet of Things


The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), also referred to as Industry 4.0, is still a relatively young phenomenon. Embracing it can require the installation of new infrastructure or alterations to an existing setup, both of which generally involve significant capital cost. Consequently, it can require a certain leap of faith from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to get started. Gareth Noyes, chief strategy office, SVP strategy & corporate development, Wind River, tells us more


are embracing as an exciting opportunity.


Gareth Noyes, chief strategy office, SVP strategy & corporate development, Wind River


F Software-defined infrastructure


or businesses operating in the critical infrastructure space – sectors such as defense, energy, manufacturing, transportation and communications – a software-defined approach to infrastructure can help them grow and take full advantage of the IIoT. This is true whether they’re replacing infrastructure or building new. Broadly speaking, the organisations involved fall into one of two groups. The first are those producing high-end manufacturing equipment, who need to extend their remit ‘downwards’ to incorporate communications technology and cloud-based analytics. Elsewhere, traditional embedded providers are expanding ‘upwards’ into larger-scale platforms. Between the two is an area of unknown, which smart organisations


34 October 2017


The changing nature of industry The way industry works is changing, driven by a range of factors. Businesses need to reduce capital costs. Equipment is reaching the end of its natural life. Security may be inadequate. And existing systems are causing headaches: they may be stable and reliable, but because they’re often bespoke, adding functionality to them is expensive and time-consuming. Getting data out of these systems to analyse and drive efficiencies can also be extremely difficult. Moreover, knowledge of how they work is often tied up in the heads of a shrinking pool of staff, who are gradually being replaced by individuals used to working with more modern technologies. All of this is driving up maintenance and integration costs, hampering innovation and limiting organisations’ abilities to reduce operational costs, enhance security, improve worker safety and react rapidly to evolving market demands To help overcome these challenges, technologies such as cloud computing, virtualisation, the IoT, data analytics and open platforms will be key, as will looking at lessons learned in related sectors.


The power of virtualisation The amount of processing power required to crunch through the enormous volumes of data involved in the IIoT – both in the cloud and at the edge – means enterprise-style virtualisation can play an important role. Using it can help unlock the benefits already being enjoyed by those in the embedded systems space, where designers have successfully delivered real-time systems that blend high security with a low memory requirement and low-overhead communication.


Components in Electronics


Using smart features to replace legacy approaches


Many industries need the guarantee that their systems can run continuously for five- to-six years without intervention. Triple redundancy at the edge is one way to achieve this: a live system complemented by two backups. But this can require significant capital expenditure. Instead, by incorporating appropriate ‘smart’ IIoT features, organisations requiring these high levels of assurance can cut costs, while delivering enhanced capabilities. But this is where the leap of faith is


required: as OEMs switch from proprietary to more generic hardware at the edge, they still need to know they’ll get the safety, security and reliability they’ve always had and still require.


Delivering assurance from the IIoT Wind River’s products, including the VxWorks real-time operating system, help provide this assurance. The company has a track record of building critical- infrastructure solutions that must not fail, and is now extending its embedded portfolio to incorporate pioneering and robust IoT solutions. Wind River Titanium Control, for example, is a commercially deployable virtualisation software platform that organisations can use to evolve their legacy systems. It provides the performance, efficiency, scalability and reliability required by critical infrastructure systems. This


enables OEMs to minimise costs, while keeping their important systems running. Organisations can build device- management capabilities directly into their IoT infrastructure using Wind River Helix Device Cloud. This will help address common lifecycle management challenges that arise when installing and operating large deployments.


Adopting a phased rollout of the IIoT


While embracing the IIoT can require quite significant infrastructure changes, these need not be as daunting as organisations may initially fear. We’ve seen customers – including some Fortune 100


manufacturing businesses – move towards Industry 4.0 in phases and at their own pace. Others can do the same.


IIoT: A platform for success For organisations operating in the critical infrastructure space, the IIoT offers an exciting opportunity to transform their businesses, improve efficiency and productivity and achieve cost savings. Pioneering products, such as real-time operating systems, virtualisation software and device-management tools, can help provide the necessary safety, security and reliability assurance that those involved in critical infrastructure need as they embrace Industry 4.0.


www.windriver.com www.cieonline.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60