The world runs on engines. Heavy machines grind to make goods, provide power and build cities. These machines represent a new space for software and sensor technology. Since industrial systems run at a huge scale, any gains in efficiency become a serious cost savings. Monitoring and controlling these machines through software is a growing business.

To learn more about how digital technology is changing the industrial landscape, Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick), co-host of theCUBE*, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, visited the GE Minds + Machines conference in San Francisco, CA. There, he sat down with Jeff Liu, global executive at GE Digital-EY Alliance.

Understanding operational technology

The conversation began with a look at how GE wants to be a top software company. Liu agreed that they have a shot to do it, as the operational technology space is very different from the enterprise world. He stated that it would take an incumbent with an understanding of the manufacturing floor or the oil rig to be the software leader.

Liu then spoke about how disruptive these changes would be. He mentioned that billions of machines and sensors are being connected and how this would set off an explosion of value creation.

More than industrial maintenance

For industry, Internet of Things technology means more than just improved maintenance and avoiding unscheduled downtimes. Liu described how in the tech world they went from a client-server arrangement to modern-day cloud-based services, and how the industrial world was seeing something similar. He mentioned a large chemical company that works with GE, and that GE could use its technology to guarantee a certain amount of output and revenue.

“We can guarantee that financial outcome for them and not have them worry about the actual equipment or manufacturing process itself,” he said.

Liu then stated that companies need a player who understands the engine and all the protocols around operating it. He felt GE would be one of the leaders there.

*Disclosure: GE and other companies sponsor some GE Minds + Machines segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither GE nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of GE Minds + Machines.

Photo by SiliconANGLE