Microsoft has acquired UK-based industrial technology and rapid prototyping outfit The Marsden Group for an undisclosed fee, as it continues to fill-out its cloud, analytics, telecoms, and software portfolio for the Industry 4.0 market.
It said the deal will enhance its ability to create “new customer value through experimentation and deep industry solutions” based on its cloud, edge, and AI products. In the first half of last year, Microsoft bought a glut of Industry 4.0 talent, in the shape of UK robotic process automation firm Softomotive, US data modeling startup ADRM Software, US IoT/OT security company CyberX, and US machine vision company Orions Systems.
It also acquired private cellular specialists Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch last year, which have been geared under new stewardship to offer edge-based industrial 5G to enterprises, respectively, via operator channels and direct. Along with its Azure cloud platform, popular with industrial and corporate setups, and its broadening stable of industrial analytics plugins, the Redmond firm is positioning itself as the first port of call for Industry 4.0.
Omar Abbosh, corporate vice president of cross-industry solutions, at Microsoft, commented: “The first chapter of digital transformation was oriented toward consumer industries. The newer opportunity in infrastructure, manufacturing and resources is enormous. We see an increased pace of digital change across many industries, and believe that velocity is here to stay, as more companies recognize they must commit to continuous innovation.’
The Marsden Group’s background is in technology for heavy asset industries. The company took the keynote at Microsoft’s Inspire conference in Las Vegas 2019, alongside Microsoft and Unilever, to showcase a digital twin solution the UK consumer goods giant had installed in a factory in Brazil, developed in six weeks, which showed “every machine and process in the factory”, and modelled changes to predict outcomes against different inputs.
The installation saved Unilever $3 million and drove a three percent jump in productivity. Unilever was running at least eight digital twins across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, shortly after, and confirmed a target, back then, to have the solution in 100 plants by a year ago. Abbosh said the UK firm has a “unique reputation” among “industry leaders” who want to quickly identify needs, ideate solutions, and build prototypes.
He said: “Industries like manufacturing, automotive, and logistics face unique challenges in adopting new technologies – for example connecting industrial equipment to the cloud, overcoming data silos, and supporting interoperability with legacy systems. I’ve seen what The Marsden Group and Microsoft can do, what’s possible when we bring our cloud, edge, IoT, and AI capabilities [together] with its speed, agility and technical creativity.”
He said: “With this investment, we are taking the next step to help our customers across all industries envision and build digital solutions faster.”
Speaking after the Inspire event in 2019, Andrew Pratt, president of The Marsden Group, stated: “We literally designed and manufactured a sensor pack at our R&D facility in Houston and put in on a piece of equipment in that six-week window. Being then able to show Unilever’s team of subject matter experts and engineers how we can bring their data to life and use it to control their equipment. This is where the real magic happens.”
