Industrial Internet of Things is a trend for companies large and small

The Internet of Things has entered consumers’ lives with wearable devices, cell phones, and security systems that send data through the internet.

Meanwhile, a related concept is developing: the Industrial Internet of Things. Companies large and small are creating the infrastructure for the digital industrial revolution.

Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE, calls his company the “world’s largest digital-industrial company.” The multinational corporation, widely known for electric engines, is now a player in the software field. It has developed Predix, an operating system for the Industrial Internet of Things that is cloud-based, at its San Ramon, California offices.

Predix can expand opportunities, not just for GE and its employees but also for its customers. Immelt recently visited the Le Centorial building in Paris, where he announced the opening of what the company calls a “digital foundry.” GE plans for several hundred engineers, data scientists, and designers to work in Paris, using Predix to develop software for industrial machines, including those that factories depend on.

A small company just entering the field, ProAxion of Apex, North Carolina, is marketing its first product, TACTIX, a wireless sensor system that detects machine vibration. Such cloud-connected sensors can let factory workers know that a machine needs maintenance. By maintaining their equipment, factories prevent unexpected machine failure, thus saving money by maintaining production schedules and avoiding repair costs.

CEO and Co-Founder Justin Rothwell explained: “ProAxion is a play on proactive. Our mission is to develop technology tools that help manufacturing facilities use data to be proactive, rather than reactive.”

The ProAxion system is easy to use, Rothwell said. Customers can attach it to their equipment without understanding how it works.

Like GE and ProAxion, companies of all sizes can benefit from knowing Industrial Internet of Things trends.