The Internet Of Things – The Next Big Frontier

General Electric Corp. (GE) would like to to own the Internet of Things, and it moved a step closer to that goal with an important new partnership with Intel Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., and Verizon Wireless that aims to connect its GE’s Predix software platform to millions of new machines and sensors, regardless of manufacturer.

The Internet of Things represents an enormous growth opportunity for GE, which is already one of the world’s leading producers of industrial machinery. GE calls IoT the “Industrial Internet”, and it’s billing its engines, turbines and other machines as ‘smart’ solutions that are vital for any modern-day industry.

There’s two aspects to this latest deal. Alongside Cisco and Intel, GE aims to create millions of “Predix-ready” devices for the Industrial Internet. These devices and sensors will be able to run its special software, which features open communication frameworks that are needed for interoperability among devices and sensors from different manufacturers. Cisco will add Predix compatibility to networking gear like routers, while Intel will make sure its processors are speaking the same language. GE says Predix’s architecture allows for cloud and data center computing resources to be tied with Hadoop for analysis.

The goal is for Predix to connect everything from air traffic control towers and railways to electric power grids and hospitals, no matter where they’re located. “By connecting more assets and equipment (to each other and people) at the edge to the cloud, industrial operators gain more insight into the performance of their operations,” said a GE press statement.

Verizon will lend its expertise to help GE remotely monitor, diagnose and resolve maintenance issues with its Industrial Internet network. GE and Verizon will also begin talks about creating a single global SIM.

GE has been actively pushing the Industrial Internet for some time already, contributing to a number of initiatives that are gaining widespread support.

The most notable of these is the Industrial Internet Consortium, which GE founded alongside AT&T, Cisco, IBM Corp., and Intel. That group is focused on developing interoperability standards to bridge the gap between sensors, machines, computers, mobile devices and the data they create.