IIoT awesome, but only 25 percent of execs are deploying it

An overwhelming majority of business leaders said that the adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is critical to their company’s future success, but only a quarter of them are deploying the technology today.

In the survey, released by Genpact Research Institute, it said data security was the most prominent reason why IIoT deployments were not happening today. Business leaders are also worried about lack of technology skills, use of legacy systems, and privacy issues.

“IIoT has the potential to transform traditional supply chain practices saving companies valuable resources and time,” said Guy Yehiav, CEO of Profitect. “Yet, businesses are cautious to implement IIoT because it’s still relatively new. Since this form of IoT collects various data points it provides even more data, not less. Dealing with the data is what makes it valuable, but it can be a challenge for businesses to fully trust and whether or not anomalies are being picked-up.”

Profitect provides a prescriptive analytics solution for IIoT deployments, which Yehiav says can spot irregularities and recognize areas of the business working well. This solution gives businesses better understanding of the deployment success, which may not be felt financially until a few years down the line.

34 percent of the 173 executive responses said data quality is blocking the current deployment of IIoT in their businesses. Profitect and other analytics are attempting to convince execs that the data collected can save them millions and provide meaningful solutions, but it doesn’t appear to have sunk in at the present time.

“I don’t see executives as more cautious than usual, but IIoT usually has to do with connecting devices that have not been connected before, so there are security and technical issues to be solved,” said Kai Goerlich, research director at SAP. “Furthermore to really use the full potential of IoT, the operations should be in real-time, which means generated data has to be analyzed and uses based on real-time databases and algorithms.”

“This is a major investment for many companies and they often lack a clear business plan, the skills and budgets to defend the IoT projects internally.”

Goerlich’s arguments match up with the data provided in the Genpact Research survey, almost 50 percent of businesses are attempting to develop a clear IIoT strategy, 30 percent won’t have an IoT plan in the next 12 months.

It is possible that some business leaders are deploying IIoT without a good grasp of the effects it will have, although Goerlich believes a business only looking to save money will see benefits instantly. It is when businesses start messing around with more complex data from IIoT devices that they struggle, due to lack of understanding or not teaching staff members the benefits of the new connected devices.

Attacks on IIoT assets also raise fears

Cyber attacks are another cause for concern among business leaders. In the survey, 50 percent of execs think IIoT deployment increases their company’s susceptibility to cyber attacks, which could be anything from targeted destruction to ransomware.

“Anything that expands and diversifies the attack surface increases the risk of cyber attacks,” said Rob Sadowski, marketing director at RSA, the security division inside EMC. “There are two distinct aspects that need to be considered.  First is that by adding IoT, you are creating another point of entry that could be utilized by an attacker to compromise your broader network. Second, IoT can be an attractive target for attackers looking to perpetrate highly-visible disruptive or destructive attacks.”

That’s a rather gloomy statement for business leaders on the fence about IIoT, but Sadowski provided a list of ways companies can mitigate these risks and effectively secure IIoT devices from the outside world.

•   Ensure that IoT are deployed in a physically secure manner
•   Integrate IoT into existing vulnerability management processes
•   Provide secure access to IoT
•   Monitor the devices for attacks and intrusions
•   Understand/evaluate the devices native “built-in” security features

This comes back to the insufficient skills of technology staff obstacle, which 35 percent of executives say is holding them off deployment. Companies, especially large firms, need to employ IoT specialists or seek help from third-parties, like RSA, which provides a range of scalable security tools for businesses.

IIoT has been pegged, alongside automation, as a possible Fourth industrial revolution.1The third, the introduction of computers to the workplace, has seen incredible bounds in productivity over the last 30 years. Firms working on IoT expect these connected devices to provide even more than that, as we enter into an age of autonomy, robotics, and big data analytics in the workplace.

Intelligent alarm systems could reduce risks and costs

The alarm of the future may be able to warn workers about incidents before they happen and make sure only the people that can fix the problem are informed.

Instead of an alarm alerting the entire factory and creating lots of confusion, GE Digital senior product marketing manager, Alicia Bowers, sees a world where alarms are informative, preventive, and not annoying.

As part of GE Digital’s industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) push, it wants factories to install analytics for its machines. From there, the machine needs to be able to alert a centralized system, which will find the closest engineer able to fix the issue using geo-location.

GE Digital has built a system that does most of that, though more complex analytics, like machine self-assessment, is still in early days.

GE systems notifies engineers of needed fixes

Engineers may receive notifications on a mobile device from the system, detailing what machine needs repaired, how to fix it, and a risk assessment of the situation.

Having systems that can identify issues could save factories millions in repair costs over the years, not to mention the rise in productivity from a significant reduction in machine failures.

“Consider temperature monitoring on a piece of equipment. If the temperature exceeds the upper control limit, an alarm is activated. Traditionally, an operator would now react to the alarm. Analytics have made it possible to evolve from being reactionary to predicting when the event will occur and taking steps in advance,” said Bowers in Automation World.

Businesses are interested in IIoT, but only 25 percent in a recent survey are in the deployment stage. Many are worried that staff won’t understand the analytics, which will require the business to employ higher paid engineers.

Shippers setting sail via Internet of (Floating) Things

No place on land or sea is safe from being connected. And now it seems the marine industry is at last diving into Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with both feet.

RCR Wireless News reports shipping companies are increasingly harnessing the data produced by their vessels.
However, technology giant Ericsson says the marine industry lags behind alternative modes of commercial transport in its deployment of this connected communications and information technology. This is despite the fact that around 80% of global trade by volume is transported by ships compared to other transportation modes.

Though ships have routinely used data collecting sensors for some time, Ericsson feels that the industry has been slow to take full advantage of the technology’s benefits until now.

But shipping companies are increasingly looking to make up lost ground, or nautical miles in this case. They are increasing connectivity aboard ships to allow the sharing of insights in real time and using the data to optimize shipping ecosystems.

“There may be no direct commercial gain to increasing crew connectivity on board,” maritime executive Douglas Watson said to RCR. “But executives tell us they get far more information back about their vessels than they ever got before establishing reliable contact with crew. When the crew has better access to communication, they exchange more operational info about the state of the vessel, adding more data to what’s gathered from sensors to inform operational decision making.”

One area where IIoT is having a significant impact on shipping is to track the state vessels to optimize marine maintenance and repairs.

And keeping commercial vessels in ship-shape condition is crucial to the bottom line of shipping firms. It is estimated that having an offshore supply vessel offline for repairs can cost between $58,000 and $116,000 per day, with a five-week dry docking operation costing nearly $3 million.

Ericsson has ideas for shippers

One IIoT platform used by shipping companies is Ericsson’s Maritime ICT Cloud solution. The platform connects bridge communications with embedded sensors that monitor the status of the ship engines and hull to allow vessel owners to address repair problems early on.

This follows news that the world’s largest shipping container firm, Maersk Line, has brought two thirds of its vessels online in a partnership with Ericsson.

Not only does IIoT at sea allow ships to be tracked, but also can provide the status and temperature of cargo containers on board. This allows the crew to look into any storage malfunctions that could cause cargo to spoil.

As well real-time cargo tracking technology allows various stakeholders in a supply chain to monitor goods in their journey from production warehouses to the final customers.

Philips launches ecosystem of connected health wearables

Philips unveiled a suite of new connected health devices on Monday, in a move to bolster its position in the personal healthcare market.

The firm said all four devices have been built “with leading doctors and psychologists,” according and connect to the company’s HealthSuite app.

The first device is a health watch, with similar functionality to the Apple Watch or Fitbit Blaze. It tracks the user’s heart-rate, activity, and sleep patterns, automatically recognizing different workouts.

All information will be available to view on the HealthSuite app, letting users check detailed analytics of their fitness progress.

Philips estimates the health watch can last for four days without charge. It has an always on display showing the time, your heart-rate, and other metrics. It is available to purchase for $250.

The next two devices are much more health focused, blood pressure monitors for the upper arm and wrist. The devices let users measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart-rate. Data collected can be sent to doctors through the HealthSuite app.

Philips plans to sell the upper arm device for $100 and the wrist for $90.

Having a complete setup that works seamlessly is welcoming, especially in healthcare where devices can often times be analog or incompatible. That’s why Philips launched a body analysis scale to go alongside the health watch, letting users check their weight, BMI, and body fat and then save the results in the HealthSuite app.

The connected scale is available starting today, at $99.

The last device is an ear thermometer, which can accurately measure temperature in two seconds. Another health device aimed at health clinics, rather than consumers. It is available for $60.

Philips wants the range of health devices to be purchased by middle aged consumers to reduce the likelihood of chronic illnesses. It claims that 90 percent of chronic conditions can be prevented through a lifestyle change, and the four devices could push people to be more active.

What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a whole genre of technologies and services that focus on creating a network connection between everyday objects. These objects include just about anything from industrial machinery to your water bottle.

It is almost impossible to talk about the future of of tech, the Internet and almost any industry without hearing the phrase, “Internet of Things.”

But what that really means is a growing network — a broader Internet — filled with networked devices that go way beyond desktops, laptops, and smartphones. These devices will be connected together so that they can track and communicate data with the cloud opens the door to a whole new world of possibilities.

Some popular IoT examples

Your car, for example, will soon be able to drive itself around town. No steering wheel or pedals required! This is possible because of improved sensor technology and artificial intelligence that is capable of surveying the surrounding area, receiving accurate positioning via GPS, and making decisions faster than the human mind. The result is safer transportation that frees you up to accomplish more in a time that would otherwise be spent behind the wheel.

It includes wearable devices like your wristwatch can connect wirelessly to your phone via Bluetooth, enabling it to sync data to and from the Cloud. The number of steps you take during the day, your heart beat, and even your sleep quality can be monitored and stored in the cloud so you can access that information from anywhere.

What IoT means to the consumer

Thanks to IoT technologies, your home would be smarter. Your blinds could open and close with the sun, your air conditioning system could track the location of people inside the home to maximize efficiency by targeting cooling where it is actually needed. Your refrigerator could let you know when food is about to expire and add items to your shopping list automatically. These solutions all fall under the IoT umbrella, and this is really just the beginning.

For many homeowners, IoT technologies are already in place and work invisibly. Smart meters that measure electricity usage in a home have all but replaced traditional mechanical meters that would be ready by a technician once per month. These smart meters make it possible for you to log in to your electric company’s website and see exactly how much electricity you used on a given day, or even a specific hour.

A new industrial revolution

In an industrial application, IoT technologies power heavy machinery and provide critical information about the state and goings on of a complex production environment. IoT sensors can track a machine’s efficiency and activity and make way for improved automation processes. Huge amounts of data can be sent to a single control room where someone can monitor and control an entire production floor from a single point.

Security is another big area where IoT technologies can be put to good use. Home security systems are already becoming widely available with integrated apps and cloud-based monitoring so you can lock your doors and arm security systems from your phone rather than having to do so from a keypad in the home. You can do things like give someone access to the house temporarily from anywhere in the world.

To put it simply: The Internet of Things may be a buzzword, but it’s the best simple term we can use to describe the modern Internet. It describes an environment where your laptop, phone, and even your car are able to communicate with one another in order to make your life easier.

KONUX gathers $7.5 million for IIoT sensors

Munich-based industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) startup KONUX raised $7.5 million in Series A funding to start developing smart sensors for industry.

German industrial VC investor MIG lead the funding round, alongside New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Silicon Valley’s Andy Bechtolsheim. UnternehmerTUM, Warren Weiss, and Founder.org were also named as investors according to the IIoT firm.

See Also: Can IoT make bike rides safer?

The funding round allows the company to “expand its product platform, roll out products in volume for new and existing customers and establish [the company as a leader] in machine insights.”

KONUX already has a few recognizable customers, like Deutsche Bahn, one of the leaders in passenger logistics. The firm says it has reduced costs, increased safety, and digitized Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure since it started working with them.

“Industrial companies are facing increasing challenges related to machine efficiency and maintenance expenses,” said KONUX CEO Andreas Kunze. “We believe the real impact and the toughest challenges of IoT are in the industrial world. We have designed solutions that allow for complete digitalization of manual measurements and comprehensive sensor data tracking and analytics, with the ultimate goal to shift from unplanned maintenance to predictive maintenance.”

KONUX joins growing IIoT marketplace

It is one in a growing list of startups designing IoT products for the industrial market. Some, including the German government, claim that this might be the fourth industrial revolution, on level with the advances the industry noticed when it switched from water to electric power; or started using computers to automate procedures.

“KONUX has tremendous experience with sensor solutions in industrial settings and can provide unique insights by combining sensors with cloud-enabled analytics,” said Greg Papadopoulos, Ph.D., Venture Partner at NEA and former CTO at SUN Microsystems. “Other solutions tend to focus on either the analytics layer or the manufacturing of sensor components; KONUX’s vertical approach and use of AI are unique differentiators.”