Most of my time involves Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) where I am devoting about 2.5 hours a day to interviews. As one person asked, what does HPE have to offer. Briefly described, HPE has a variety of compute devices, services, and partnerships.
One application was a prescriptive maintenance solution where IoT data is analyzed and the CMMS is notified to initiate a work order. We are not in the era of self-healing machines, yet, but we are one step closer where the machine can begin a maintenance workflow with information about what to repair.
The SecureEdge Data Center combines enclosures from Rittal, I/O from ABB, and Edgeline edge computing hardware from HPE into a scalable industrial center to provide IIoT data to the enterprise from ABB robotics and automation.
As a former machine vision integrator, I loved the video analytics demo application showing Relimetrics software to analyze servers in manufacturing. In this case, the application read a 2D barcode to determine the build, discovered the bill of materials, and then checked that all the proper components were in the assembly, that everything was properly installed, and there were no other defects.
One application of Edgeline edge compute devices, for example, is in partnership with National Instruments to accomplish complex testing at the edge with communication to the cloud as necessary. Edge compute is also important in autonomous vehicles where decisions must be quickly executed locally, but large amounts of data must also be communicated to the cloud for further analysis.
Speaking of partnerships, HPE has forged significant partnerships in the industrial world with ABB, GE Digital, OSIsoft, PTC (Kepware and ThingWorx), Rittal, and Schneider Electric. Most of these involve a significant IT infrastructure including power at the Edge from HPE along with data and connectivity plus solutions targeted to various industrial applications.
