IoT in Manufacturing - Buzzword of next generation OEM

Accelerated market demands

Technology has grown rapidly, so has mankind’s vision to evolve and sustain earth. The world has become more astute and time considerate. This is the era of smart technologies and smart living with no much room left for manual processes which consume unnecessary time and money. This is one of the many reasons that the market demands and people interests are changing rapidly, bringing a paradigm shift in every sector of business and its operations. 

IoT - a revolution for a sustainable planet

The world has experienced extraordinary revolutions since the early ages of human kind. We have evolved to learn and develop ourselves into a dominant race.

The mechanical, electrical, computer and the internet revolution, played a key role in our development and humanities quest for more once again raised the famous question of “WHAT NEXT?”

The answer lies with the new generation technology companies who have already orchestrated and prepared for an incipient revolution, which may rewrite the history of the world by its seamless capabilities.

Introducing the IoT revolution (Internet of things). Indeed, IoT is a vision and a concept where humankind, environment and the man-made objects/assets blend their futuristic thoughts and work as a unified service unit to scale today's business needs on the fly and tomorrow's deliverables set by today.  Automation controls and data acquisition is the heart function of IoT in a keenly interactive world. We may literally call IoT as an INTRANET or a BLUE BOOK or a DIGITAL LIBRARY on all connected equipment's for a country or a region.

IoT in manufacturing, upcoming Business Model for OEM business administration

The interest rate on most OEM businesses is transmuting from traditional product-oriented business module to service-oriented business model which leads to a data driven lifestyle supported by IoT enablement in their business network. The whole optimization and governance of data will enable cost reduction in operating a large scale manufacturing network and their services through increased operational efficiencies and real time data availability. This will help the OEM portfolio managers to execute any dynamic business changes as the need arises.

Why is it said that IoT changes the way manufacturers think tomorrow?

IoT in manufacturing sector is an interesting subject, researches reveals that 42% of the manufacturers are self-prepared to become Internet of things connected players.

Also 45 % are thinking that they need to urgently shift from traditional ways of business to up-to-the-minute IoT cutting-edge services.

For majority businesses, IoT is one of the top 3 priorities.  Only 3% of OEM will stick with their traditional level of product oriented business model for long and eventually adopt IoT and data driven policies to drive their business network.

Current OEM Business model Vs. IoT driven business Model

Anybody familiar about an open loop and a closed loop in control system engineering would be interested in below statement.

In simple words, an open loop is an automation method with no control on its process output.

A closed loop concept actually performs what the situation exactly wants and therefor enabling fast decision making capability. The perfection to process governance in closed loop is adequate in comparison with an open loop.

Nowadays, every manufacturing industry is struggling with cut-throat competition from their domain of business area and the traditional business process flow concept is struggling and seems inefficient to respond towards this generation's dynamic market needs. This is almost similar like an open loop (Most of the OEM business models are driven as linear progression method so the failure rates are high in current circumstance and customer demands or market trends are slowly adopting to the portfolio). 

Today the OEMs are facing big challenges in terms of business visibility about their flagship products in the market.

Compare the IoT enablement as a closed loop feedback control system or a tool which can fill the business process gaps for any manufacturer, who would really be interested to see live customer interactions and comfort level graph towards their product and services in the market. This will definitely help any OEM to execute customer retention policies in a smarter way.  The business outcome and the value proposition is measurable in terms of quality, performance,  SLA maintainability, operational excellence, product enhancement etc. Further, the next generation IoT services will enable a bunch of new revenue streams, bringing a standard governing policy to the OEM portfolios networks and this will change the way we interact with any OEM tomorrow.

Pacific Control's IoT - OEM managed services

Pacific Controls provides end to end IoT services for various verticals including “IoT in Manufacturing".  With their expertise/ knowledge in the area and with the help of substantial experts such as application engineers, system integrators, Industrial application specialists and domain experts, software developers, technical leads, hardware designers, Manufacturers, Research organizations etc, they have identified the current OEM challenges and have already started delivering tailored end to end solution from their IoT platform called "Galaxy 2021" with the help of “G2021ES” a multi-technology gateway. These OEM engagements are currently generating bunch of new opportunities in the market place and creating a superior level of quality and value proposition in each OEM business model.

Here is a link with the success stories of differentorganizations engaged with PCS OEM Managed Services.

By Sunilkumar Pillai
Project Engineer at Pacific Controls

How will IoT change your life?

An IoT (Internet of Things) setup has devices connected to the internet catering to multiple use case scenarios. These can be monitoring of assets, executing tasks and services to support day to day human requirements, ensuring life & safety through alerts and responses, city infrastructure management through command control centers for emergency response, enabling efficient governance through process automation, provisioning healthcare and enabling sustainable energy management thereby addressing environment conservation concerns.

A platform which caters to all above use cases from devices and sensors to management functionalities qualifies to be a Smart city platform.

Cloud computing is a popular service that comes with many characteristics and advantages. Basically, cloud computing is like DIY (Do It Yourself) service wherein a user/consumer can subscribe to computing resources based on demand/requirement whilst the services are delivered entirely over the Internet.

IoT and Cloud computing go hand-in-hand though they are two different technologies which are already part of our life. Both being pervasive qualifies them as the internet of future. Cloud merged with IoT together is foreseen as new and disruptive paradigm.

Just like cloud is available as a service, whether it is infrastructure, platform or software .Similarly IoT is seen as every(thing) as a service for future since it also fulfills the smart city initiative. First and foremost requirements of any IoT platform for smart city is on demand self-service which enables usage based subscription to computing resources(hardware) that manage and run automation , platform functions, software features and algorithms that form part of city management infrastructure.

Characteristics of such an IoT on Cloud scenario are …

·     Broad network access- to enable any device connectivity whether it is laptop, tablet, nano/micro/pico gateways or actuators or sensors.
       Resource pooling - for on demand access of compute resources like assign identity to device in pool.
      Rapid elasticity - to enable quickly edit software features providing elastic computing- storage & networking demands.
      Measured service - pay for only resources and or services used based on duration/volume/quantity of usage.   

Advantage of any IoT Cloud setup is that it doesn’t involve upfront CAPEX from a service consumer point of view in terms of building entire infrastructure from ground zero. Rather it is based on subscribe-operate-scale-pay model. This enables stakeholders and decision maker’s instant access to actual environment which helps them gauge prospective investment and expenditure at the same time technology teams are geared up to anticipate which component of the IoT setup needs to be scaled rather than replicating entire setup to fulfill growing demands.

Dockers (which are basically containers having associated compute, storage and software module with runtime environments required to run software module of overall software) and Micro services (are independent services having own data persistence and dependency software elements which can run independently or provide service to monolithic systems) are some of the features that help manage scalability aspect of IoT platform on cloud catering to smart city use case. Individual modules and components within IoT platform can be preconfigured as Dockers and Micro services.  Once there is traction on the platform, respective Docker or Micro services gets provisioned to handle surge in data traffic thus individual functionality of the platform becomes horizontally scalable. Hence to address such ad-hoc scalability requirements, unlike monolithic systems wherein entire platform needs replication, here only individual module of the platform can be scaled which saves substantial resources and OPEX for stakeholders.

This platform architecture can be implemented on a cloud infrastructure reusing legacy hardware or over commodity computing infrastructure.

Any smart city deployment of IoT platform demands fail safe high availability setup. As a result computing infrastructure has to be clustered (grouping of similar functional units/modules within software system).With the surge in number of clusters and Dockers of each functional modules, managing such disparate clustered environments becomes a challenge. Technologies such as Kubernetes and Mesos address these challenges.

Mesos and Kubernetes enable efficient management, scalability and optimization of Dockers micro services and APIs which are exposed as PaaS or SaaS over cloud infrastructure, thereby fulfilling on- the- fly auto scaling demands from service consumers.

Pacific controls Galaxy2021 platform built using open source technologies has adopted most of the above mentioned technologies and best practices. This forms a unique value proposition enabling early adoption to latest technology innovations in the open source world that is either related to IoT or cloud computing. Galaxy2021 platform is horizontally scalable and is capable to manage disparate IoT applications of various stakeholders. It can handle high volume data communication originating at a high frequency from various sensors devices and gateways installed across various smart city assets.

Galaxy2021 Platform has been deployed and available on different cloud infrastructures in public, private and hybrid models catering to customers ranging from Government, Utility companies to OEMs across Middle-East, US and Oceana.

Pacific Controls appreciated by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development

                                    

Pacific Controls received a certificate of thanks and gratitude from the for Ministry of Infrastructure Development – maintenance department on 30th December, 2015 for their active participation and efforts in supporting the management strategic activities and initiatives that led to a great success, with a wish for more progress and development.

This was a small testimonial by Miss Wafa Al-Sabbagh, Deputy Director for Maintenance, Maintenance Department, Ministry of Infrastructure Development. 

                                 

The certificate of thanks and gratitude from the for Ministry of Infrastructure Development

About the project 

Under the presidency of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, the Ministry of Public Works (now Ministry of Infrastructure Development) has been formed to cater the various requirement of the government of UAE.

Ministry of Infrastructure Development has come up with a program for managing and supervision of infrastructure and effective optimization of available resources. Ministry of Infrastructure Development has taken an initiative, especially in the energy sector to improve energy efficiency and also reduce management expenses. The aim is to become a service provider with leverage on smart control solutions and remote access of electro-mechanical systems deployed at various sites.

Pacific Controls has partnered with leading product OEMs, carriers, service providers, governments and diversified enterprises to leverage smart connected devices, machines and the internet of things and people. Organization's goals are in accordance with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Green UAE sustainability with automation and smart solutions are the prime focus area.

Together, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Pacific Controls join hands to support His Highness’ vision of 2030 for making UAE, one of the happiest country in the world using innovative solution available to pioneer in such initiatives. Pacific Controls has proposed Ministry of Infrastructure Development for energy optimization solution for different type of buildings.  The HVAC system will be managed and monitored remotely to improve energy efficiency. This will result in reducing electricity consumption thus supporting the national cause of environmental changes and CO₂ reduction.

API First approach and Why Should You Care?

What is an API?

An application-programming interface (API) is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a Web-based software application or Web tool. A software company releases its API to the public so that other software developers can design products that are powered by its service.

The paradigm shift in software design thinking from User Interface design to API first design. The plethora of devices, Web, Thin clients, thick clients, varied mobile screens, smart watches, IOTs, touch screens- which produce and consume lot of data to/from the back-end systems, demands diversified User interfaces and user experiences, however the interaction with back system remains same. Due to proliferation of devices, so the user interaction with the system, the only way to gain control is from API first design approach.  

Abstraction of API interface is critical to orchestrate the back-end interaction, which allows dynamic adoption of User offerings and allows UI developers think without worrying the back-end access mechanisms. API First approach is emerging as the next big thing when it comes to APIs. But what does API First really mean?

1.   The API is the Contract

It starts with the idea that the API itself is in the driver seat. Whatever your backend service may be, whatever core functionality your organization provides, whatever systems you have in place, players in the API Economy really don't care how those systems work, and they certainly don't want to consume them based on your enterprise rules. Yes, these consumers recognize the need for what you have to offer, but they want to consume it based on their business, not yours.

This leads to a fundamental shift from SOA thought: the API is the contract. SOA contracts (think WSDLs) encapsulate traditional enterprise services thinking:

“ Here is what I have to offer you, and here is the exact way you need to work with me to get it."

A good API initiative works the other way:

" This is what I need, and I want it exactly the way I need it."

Also implicit in the concept that the API is the contract is the ever-changing nature of APIs. A good API is Agile - it changes as often as necessary to meet API consumer requirements and to offer new functionality. By following best practices of API design, these changes can be introduced without breaking existing apps that consume the API.

2.   APIs are a Product

In the API Economy, it is the API itself that is the product. Sure, without backend services providing the actual data and functionality that are required, the API would be pretty much useless. But the point of interaction, the place where the transaction occurs, is the API. Apps are built on APIs (and often from different providers). Developers work with APIs. Business partners want to interact through APIs.

It is important that you invest the same type of efforts in your APIs as you do in any other product. This is true even if you are not planning on monetizing your APIs. Ideally, this means a separate product owner for the API.

3.   Adding it up

There is a lot more to the API First philosophy, but these two elements are the essential building blocks. Recognize that your approach needs to be API-driven and not SOA-driven. And treat your APIs as a product

 How PCS Digital Business HUB helps you joining the API Revolution? 

The PCS Digital Business HUB is a ground breaking digital enablement platform, which is designed to enable enterprises, MNOs, government and individuals to transform the way they engage and partner in digital ecosystem by removing many of the barriers by providing API and Identity as a servicehence positively affect an organizations profitability (API Economy). This paltform provides a single point of integration, creating a simple, agile, monetizable digital service echo system aimed at connecting government services, enterprises and consumers across Middle East Region.

Key features and benefits of Digital Business HUB

• Rapid on-boarding of services and publishing of APIs
• API based services will be launched in quick time
• Highly secured API manager
• Single point of integration exposing simple REST APIs
• Secure layer independent of your core business systems
• Choose to publish APIs privately (for internal use), for trusted partnerships or for wider public developer ecosystem
• Cost effective Opex model using PCS' end-to-end managed cloud delivery infrastructure
• Easy future migration to dedicated instance with no re-engineering
• New revenue opportunities for the government and other ecosystem partners/players
• Governance and policy framework with government engagement to a wider and global audience

   

  

How to create a Smart City Strategy and its Implementation?

Smart city strategy and implementation evolves with technological advancements achieved over rapidly developing global spectrum of research and developments in the field of Machine 2 Machine (M2M), Internet of Things (IoT) and moving onto Internet of Everything (IoE).

Through various online resources available it is a clear indication of the direction which a technology company needs to take if it wants to be in the league of the highly lucrative IoE domain, which considering economies of scale, is a prime index to determine the return on investments.  End of the day, the initiatives undertaken by pioneers in the IoE spectrum is to ensure that they benefit commercially at a global scale, gaining with the first mover’s advantage. As it is in the case of many internationally acclaimed corporates, IoE is the next phase they foresee for their rapid growth and diversification of business with a global footprint. 

Companies must embrace latest and evolving technologies accessible in order to remain competitive in the coming years. Enhanced hybrid internet connectivity, redundant and high available big data solutions, robust platforms run on cloud computing and integrating to the social media with a wide reach may be identified as major forces to ensure competing capabilities.

As per statistics published by Gartner; in comparison with year 2009, it is estimated that the total IoT units devices globally will reach 26 billion by the year 2020.  This directly accounts for an exponential surge in the smart devices and would account to the need for high available and reliable infrastructure and bandwidth to handle the IoT growth.

Key stakeholder in smart city strategy formulation and implementation would be the end user and is a focus while designing smart city platforms to ensure appealing user interfaces which provide complex data structures analyzed through intelligent analytic tools and portrayed onto dashboards which would be easy to use and interpret. Collation of all sub-systems in a city-level deployment of smart city ecosystem is an evolution of large scale Information Communication Technology (ICT) solutions catering various needs and functionalities that demand enhancement in efficiency and sustainable resource utilization yet available readily to use by each and every resident of the city.

Happiness index factor is a key measure and target of development of policy makers who undertake strategic decisions of a sustainable city level development initiative. This is highlighted in the World Happiness Report 2013. 

On March 05^th 2014, Dubai formulated a strong far-sighted strategy with tangible milestones to transform itself into a “Smart City”. Considering that there are more than 180 nationalities living in Dubai, the transformation to adopt latest technologies directly carry huge impact in enhancing the life standards of the people residing in Dubai. The role of smart city initiative and its related developments keeping in view the Expo 2020 is vital to future developments in the region.  Introduction of ministries for happiness, tolerance and future is a clear and indicative direction to ensure that the milestones and vision of Dubai is met. A three-year timeline was set by the governance to ensure that Dubai Smart City project will be in track and following which Dubai will be the world’s smartest city by the year 2017.

Pacific Controls has pioneered the artificial intelligence framework developed for virtualization of managed services and for the delivery of real time business intelligence with its “Galaxy 2021” the Internet of Things platform. This ground breaking technology from Pacific Controls offers the world the opportunity to leverage the ubiquitous platform, Galaxy 2021 for IoT infrastructure and Smart City management applications. Pacific Controls’ Galaxy 2021 is the world’s first enterprise platform delivering city centric services for management of its ecosystem comprising of Agriculture, Airports and Aviation, Education, Healthcare, Government, Energy, Financial Services, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Ground Transport, Logistics, Marine Ports, Oil and Gas and Residential.

Visit for more details : http://pacificcontrols.net/