Vodafone has signed a deal with industrial IoT and AR specialist PTC to help developers and enterprises deploy digital-change applications. The deal is an extension of an existing three-year arrangement, they said.
Milwaukee-based PTC quoted market analysis from LNS Research that says less than 10 per cent of industrial companies, as it stands, rate their digital transformation efforts as successful. The deal with Vodafone Business is geared towards PTC’s indistrial strengths in internet-of-things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) solutions.
Stefano Gastaut, IoT director at Vodafone Business, commented: “The opportunities for IoT and AR solutions in all industry sectors are enormous and we want businesses of all sizes across the globe to be able to leverage the power of IoT to drive better outcomes for themselves and their customers.”
Meanwhile, PTC and Rockwell Automation, which invested X in the Milwaukee firm last X, have been busy at PTC’s 2019 LiveWorx summit proclaiming the value of their combined technologies, with a focus on analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), and new manufacturing execution systems (MES), alonsgide IoT and AR.
In particular, the pair have focused on PTC’s FactoryTalk offer, an industrial analytics software suite for improving efficiency and productivity. FactoryTalk promises industrial companies intelligent management of operations, staff, assets, and and scalable production.
Howard Heppelmann, general manager for connected operations solutions at PTC, said: “Our collaboration with Rockwell Automation enables industrial enterprises to overcome challenges and gain traction with their digital operations initiatives. We continue to offer solutions that streamline the convergence of digital, physical and human elements – all of which are key to helping our customers digitally transform.”
John Genovesi, senior vice president for enterprise accounts and software at Rockwell Automation, said: “Our combined Rockwell Automation and PTC solutions bring together transformational technologies and drive true business outcomes.”
Rockwell has also used LiveWorx to announce the addition of new functions to its PlantPAx digital control system for cement companies. Lack of standardisation in cement operations can limit productivity and put a strain on project budgets, it noted.
Its new PlantPAx functionality includes pre-engineered and tested process instructions and operator faceplates to standardizse equipment and system configuration and optimise operations across plants. New functions include processes such as motor and drives control, valve operations, and sequencing group controls, among others.
Fabio Mielli, market development manager for mining, minerals and cement at Rockwell Automation, said: “Merger and acquisition activity has intensified standardisation challenges across cement operations. These new functions allow cement producers to follow a standard approach for all control areas of their plant and among different plants.
“This helps reduce engineering and deployment risks and helps simplify operation and maintenance activity. Consistency can offer a critical performance advantage, making it easier for plants to expand and add new functions as operations evolve or grow.”
