GM's Predix asset management platform has been used for a while now, after they came to the realization that they were in the top 20 of the largest software developers on the planet. They found that by networking the machines in their factories as well as products that have been shipped to customers and are seeing active use that they could increase the efficiency of their factories and their products. They were aiming for 1% increase, which when you consider the scale of these industries can equate to billions of dollars and in many cases they did see what they had hoped for.
Now Cisco and Intel have signed up to use the Predix platform for the same results, however they will be applying it to the Cloud and edge devices as well as the routers and switches Cisco specializes in. This should at the very least enhance the ability to monitor network traffic, predict resource shortages and handle outages with a very good possibility of a small increase in performance and efficiency across the board. This is good news to those who currently deal with the cloud but it is perhaps worth noting that you will be offering up your companies metrics to Predix and you should be aware of any possible security concerns that may raise because of that integration to another system. You could however argue that once you have moved to the cloud that this is already happening.
"GE, Intel, Cisco, and Verizon have announced a big data deal to connect Predix — GE’s software platform — to machines, systems, and edge devices regardless of manufacturer."
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- Apotop Wi-Copy @ Phoronix
GM builds automobiles and not
GM builds automobiles and not jet engines. And Cisco had better not think that enterprises will fall for any outside the enterprise’s direct control of any metrics gathering. Enterprises want total control of there intranets, and well as any internet facing assets. Most enterprises already have this in house, and over their private secure and encrypted back haul connections. No enterprise whishes to have the maker of their server CPUs, or the maker of their routers, getting even more of a vendor lockin by having control over the something as vital as operating metrics. Better stick with routers Cisco, and better stick with CPUs Intel, least the Chinese fabricated power8’s begin to eat your lunch at a faster pace. Supplier economics, and good business sense dictates that the enterprise keep its dependence on single supplier to a minimum, and Cisco, and Intel better stick to what they do best, and stay out of the vendor lockin game! Enterprises should utilize servers running more than one brand, or single ISA, based server SKU, whatever is best for efficacy and the workload, and never let the router maker provide anything more than a non snooping hardware/services. There already is an industry wide use of microcontrollers for machinery, and most of it is licensed ARM based, and MIPS based, supplied by many of the makers of the machinery, and running a BSD variant, or Linux, depending on the licensing requirement, the IOT is just a new buzzword, now that Intel has taken notice of a market that has been around for decades, and doing just fine without x86, or windows!
If the Enterprise wants to use Predix it will license directly from GE, with a secure audit of the source code, and the usual NDA. But never from Intel, or Cisco, talk about offering a rope to bind, do not let Cisco, or Intel inside!