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US software company PTC and German engineering giant Bosch have announced a partnership to integrate their Internet of Things (IoT) software.
The “technology alliance” was announced today at PTC's Liveworx software conference in Stuttgart, Germany and sees the release of a 'M2M Connector' for PTC's Thingworx Internet of Things (IoT) software platform.
The connector allows data from Bosch's IoT software system to be used with PTC's, enabling the connection of products and devices to the internet and the collection of data faster and easier, said the companies.
PTC's Thingworx software platform is used to develop applications that use data collected from products and devices connected to the internet. Bosch's IoT suite provides the software infrastructure for the distributed devices and products, while recently launched open Vorto standard for IoT interface definitions enables the data to be integrated into the different platforms.
The interoperability was demonstrated working in the 'track and trace testbed' - a wireless tooling solution for factories. During the demonstration a Bosch tightening tool operates and feeds data into a PTC Thingworx app, which monitors and records its status.
The data collected can then be used to optimise production processes and for tool maintenance. Irregularities or impending failures are detected immediately and the faulty device can be replaced before downtime can occur.
The Industrial Internet Consortium's 'track and trace testbed' was demonstrated earlier this year as proof-of-concept of IoT applications in manufacturing.
Dr Rainer Kallenbach, chief executive of Bosch Software Innovations, said: “This is a new complex world. We are convinced nobody can do it on their own, so it is important we have partnerships and shared eco-systems.
"This alliance has the potential to significantly lower the entry barrier for customers into the IoT. It combines deep know-how in Product and Service Lifecycle Management, leading IoT software products and in-depth experience, connecting and managing heterogeneous asset landscapes.
“By combining the strengths of suppliers we can get products to markets faster and with less risk. It will get easier to build IoT applications.”
Rob Gremley, president of the technology platform group, PTC, said: "ThingWorx offers an easy-to-use interface with simple operating functions like drag-and-drop. This facilitates cross-departmental development of applications, even in complex environments, without the need for advanced IoT Engineers. Once the system and process complexity has been captured with the Bosch Software Innovations IoT platform, ThingWorx removes the last hurdle into the smart, connected world."