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industrial internet

Industrial consolidation: Emerson Electric tries to buy Rockwell Automation for $27 billion

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Emerson Electric, a company with a market capitalisation of more than $40 billion, is trying to buy Rockwell Automation, which has a market cap of about $26 billion. 

Emerson has reportedly offered more than $27 billion for Rockwell, but has been rejected.

Not apparently because of the money, but because Rockwell is said to be “fiercely independent” by CNBC, which says the acquisition bid was met with a “terse rejection”.  [Read more…] about Industrial consolidation: Emerson Electric tries to buy Rockwell Automation for $27 billion

Moxa releases IIoT gateway starter kit with Amazon Web Services support built in

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Industrial automation technology supplier Moxa has launched an industrial internet of things starter kit which it says has built-in support for Amazon Web Services.

The company says the IIoT Gateway Starter Kit is aimed at the needs of system integrators and engineers developing applications for IIoT.

Moxa says the kit is data-acquisition ready, and provides a “reliable ready-to-use platform that simplifies development of IIoT solutions by providing all the essentials needed to get data from edge devices to cloud services, and with little to no programming required”.  [Read more…] about Moxa releases IIoT gateway starter kit with Amazon Web Services support built in

Itron buys Silver Spring Networks for close to a billion dollars

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Energy technology company Itron is to acquire industrial internet of things company Silver Spring Networks for more than $800 million.

The two companies have signed a definitive agreement for Itron to acquire all outstanding shares of Silver Spring for $16.25 per share in cash.

The transaction is valued at approximately $830 million, net of $118 million of Silver Spring’s cash.  [Read more…] about Itron buys Silver Spring Networks for close to a billion dollars

Opinion: Digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence, agility… what really creates value for industrial companies?

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By Vincent Champain, GE Digital

For years industrial companies have been looking for opportunities to enhance the operational efficiency of their assets and processes.

Unsurprisingly, new technologies and agile working have opened a new world of possibilities to the manufacturing sector.

In recent years, new technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, have considerably impacted the way industrial companies operate, leading to an increasing number of players in the industry embracing the trend of digitalization.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence, agility… what really creates value for industrial companies?

A giant company built on tiny components: Interview with Bosch industrial internet boss

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In this interview, Stefan Hartung, a senior member of the board at Bosch, talks extensively about the industrial internet, detailing some of the components and devices the company uses to give old machines a new lease of life, and provides some insight into the company’s plans going forward

Bosch is as relevant in today’s computerised world as it was after the end of the first industrial age, and the company’s main concern now is keeping it that way. 

Its relevance comes from making the power tools and household appliances most readers will be familiar with, and also from its development of ideas and technologies which are likely to shape a future which many of us haven’t even thought about yet.

Nowadays, all the talk is of Industry 4.0, an umbrella term to describe a range of technologies which have at their centre two tiny components: sensors and chips – both of which are Bosch’s essential stock in trade.

And if you want someone to blame for the Industry 4.0 phrase, look no further than Bosch, because it was part of the working group of German industrial giants which coined the term in 2011.  [Read more…] about A giant company built on tiny components: Interview with Bosch industrial internet boss

Industrial internet: Infineon wins new converts to its IoT and smart factory solutions

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Infineon has been busy welcoming new converts to its chip and systems technologies, with two new deals done in recent days. 

In one deal, EScrypt and GlobalSign have decided to join the Infineon Partner Network to develop smart factory solutions.

In the other, Infineon has reached a partnership agreement with Moncana on its “Security of Things” platform.  [Read more…] about Industrial internet: Infineon wins new converts to its IoT and smart factory solutions

Industrial internet: Maxim uses Arduino and ARM components to build system to identify false sensor data

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Maxim Integrated has developed a system which makes it easier to authenticate sensor and avoid false readings 

Maxim Integrated says it has developed a system which provides protection against counterfeit sensor data, guaranteeing its authenticity and integrity along the entire data chain, from transducer to the cloud.

The company says its system addresses the many issues related to system security in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) installations.

The Arduino-compatible MaxRefDes143# Reference Design consists of a protected sensor node with a DS28E15 secure authenticator, DS7505 temperature sensor, and MAX44009 light sensor, all connected to the ARM mbed technology shield with its DS2465 secure coprocessor (SHA-256), 1-Wire and I2C interfaces, Wi-Fi module, and LED/LCD/pushbutton user interfaces.  [Read more…] about Industrial internet: Maxim uses Arduino and ARM components to build system to identify false sensor data