Microsoft, GE ready to collaborate on IIoT

GE’s Predix operating system to be part of Microsoft’s Azure cloud offering.

By Bob Vavra, Content Manager, CFE Media July 11, 2016

Two of the biggest names in business—and two of the companies most interested in growing their profile in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)—will collaborate on an industrial cloud platform.

Microsoft will make the Predix platform developed by GE available on Microsoft’s Azure cloud. On its Website, GE describes Predix as "an operating system and platform for building applications that connect to industrial assets, collect and analyze data, and deliver real-time insights for optimizing industrial infrastructure and operations."

A press release hailing the partnership called the announcement: "The first step in a broad strategic collaboration between the two companies, which will allow customers around the world to capture intelligence from their industrial assets."

"Connecting industrial machines to the internet through the cloud is a huge step toward simplifying business processes and reimagining how work gets done," said Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE in a press release issued by Microsoft. "GE is helping its customers extract value from the vast quantities of data coming out of those machines and is building an ecosystem of industry-leading partners like Microsoft that will allow the Industrial Internet to thrive on a global scale."

"Every industry and every company around the world is being transformed by digital technology," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Working with companies like GE, we can reach a new set of customers to help them accelerate their transformation across every line of business—from the factory floor to smart buildings."

"GE and Microsoft plan to integrate Predix with Azure IoT Suite and Cortana Intelligence Suite along with Microsoft business applications, such as Office 365, Dynamics 365 and Power BI, in order to connect industrial data with business processes and analytics," Microsoft officials said in a press release.

Developers will get a preview of the collaboration before the end of 2016, Microsoft officials said in the press release, and GE will discuss the collaboration further at its Predix Transform, July 25-27, in Las Vegas.

Bob Vavra is Content Manager, CFE Media, bvavra@cfemedia.com.