Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Industrial internet of things improving everything, says Rockwell Automation CEO

Industrial internet of things applications are leading to better collaboration, faster problem-solving and increased productivity, according the boss of Rockwell Automation.

Blake Moret, president and CEO of Rockwell, spoke on internet of things adoption and its impact on industrial productivity, sharing insights with more than 1,200 business leaders at Cisco’s IoT World Forum.

Rockwell claims to be the industry’s only company solely dedicated to industrial automation and information, and says it is “uniquely positioned to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with harnessing the future of smart manufacturing”. 

As Moret described, the positive outcomes associated with IoT will continue to accelerate as organizations progress from pilot or proof-of-concept IoT projects to scalable IoT deployments.

According to the Global IoT Decision Maker Survey published by International Data Corporation, nearly one-third (31 percent) of those surveyed have already launched IoT solutions, and another 43 percent are looking to deploy solutions in the next 12 months.

Rockwell Automation is seeing a similar trend in its deployment of IoT solutions, and continues to increase its number of pilots across industries, applications and geographies.

Moret said: “Manufacturers and industrial operators are discovering practical ways to apply IoT across their operations, and they’re deriving measurable business value as a result.

“Combining IoT technology and expertise in specific industrial applications enables better collaboration, faster problem-solving and increased productivity.”

Moret referenced several factors driving the adoption of industrial IoT and connected operations, including lower cost of computing and connectivity, and the convergence of information technology and operations technology.

Moret explained how a connected enterprise that adopts IoT technologies can generate better insight into industrial operations and deliver greater value by providing the right information at every level of their business through scalable analytics.

He cited Great Lakes Brewing as a Rockwell Automation customer that is adopting scalable analytics to improve visibility and productivity for different parts of their operations.

The 2017 IoT World Forum explores the impact of IoT on business, technology and society. As strategic partners, Rockwell Automation and Cisco have long collaborated on industrial networking and security solutions required for industrial digital transformation.

Together, they help manufacturers improve business performance by bridging the technical and cultural gaps between plant-floor and higher-level information systems.

Moret said: “We have great technology, good people and a strong culture, but another component that sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to partner with companies such as Cisco.

‘Together, we deliver expertise and solutions for highly secure, smooth connectivity from the plant floor to the enterprise network.”