by Gary Mintchell | Jun 16, 2023 | Events, Manufacturing IT, News, Podcast, Software
Siemens Digital held its Realize Live conference June 12-15 in Las Vegas. I was there for the Media/Analyst program as well as to explore how the software integration is progressing and coming together.
All in all I am impressed with what Siemens has done since I first talked with an executive from Germany in 2007 about a vision of digital factory and again in 2008 following the company’s acquisition of UGS. That acquisition gave it the tools to pursue that digital vision. In the ensuing decade plus, many more acquisitions have bolstered the role.
The meetings began with Siemens Digital executives proclaiming how Siemens is now not only the leading automation supplier in the world, but it is also the leading industrial software supplier in the world. Now they are aiming at leading industrial cloud provider.
One key word for the week was Xcelerator, its platform and ecosystem for tying the parts together. Another key word, seen all over the exhibit floor, was digital thread. The digital thread connects various modules—since software is increasingly modular as in pick what you need. Xcelerator is that digital thread.
Siemens software is not afraid to try things, see what happens, make changes, and put them out again. Mindsphere is one such initiative. It experience three major revisions. By the 3.0 version it seemed to find its niche. Now it has morphed yet again and reappeared as Insight Hub.
Tony Hemelgarn, CEO, showed industry segment after industry segment where Siemens is the dominant player. They truly are doing something right. He also pointed out that when Siemens talks of moving its software to the cloud, they mean moving their software to the cloud—not just file sharing in the cloud as some competitors do.
Mendez people on the show floor showed me the cool parts of the no-code and low-code applications. It’s a visual programming environment that I liken to NodeRED for context.
Siemens had to talk of AI somewhere. It has found application within TeamCenter along with spoken reports from the field that can flow into quality reports for corrective action.
Rahul Garg, VP Industrial Machinery, talked with me about how Siemens works to make applications simple to use which means that they will be used (I’ve lived that life in factories, I know how important that is). Talking metaverse (without goggles) he pointed to deeper diagnostics and ability to under the surface to find root causes and problems.
You can also watch on YouTube or listen as a podcast.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 12, 2023 | Podcast
Update on the industrial metaverse essay and podcast given the Google, Facebook, and Microsoft news to AI, ChatGPT, and search ads. Thoughts on merger and acquisition including new thoughts on Emerson bid for NI. Finally, a new take on video for manufacturing. Sponsored by Ignition from Inductive Automation.
Also on YouTube.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 16, 2023 | Podcast
Yes, after a rest period due to a number of projects, I’ve recorded another podcast–244 Industrial Metaverse
by Gary Mintchell | Jun 30, 2022 | Commentary, News, Podcast
I have published another podcast. Two developers reflecting on Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in terms of Gartner’s Hype Cycle–about getting enthused at the event and then reality settling in when the amount of work is realized. I reflect on the several trips I made in May and June in the same model. I’m not saying all I got was hype, but the trip from enthusiasm to realism is worth taking.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 14, 2022 | News, Personal Development, Podcast
I have recorded podcast reflections on the ODVA meeting–237 It’s Too Complicated. Or, you can watch it on YouTube.
Taking a step back to look at some trends, some other networking news and developments you can find at The Manufacturing Connection include 5G and private networking and chip advances. This topic will heat up this year as more companies implement advanced networks for bandwidth and security.
Companies who have developed advanced product information management applications have been a new addition to my coverage. These companies develop algorithms and math to handle the complexity of managing huge numbers of product variations and supply chain issues.
A few years back the hot topic was IoT. Companies had IoT groups. Websites (and businesses around them) sprang up. I even got some business based on covering connectivity (read IoT). The groups have been disbanded. Coverage is changing. Stacey Higgenbotham of Stacey on IoT recently discussed her expanded areas of coverage. HPE’s Tom Bradicich still writes on IoT issues, but his position at HPE changed and broadened. HPE now refers to Edge-to-Cloud. I’ve always been broader than IoT, so I am not really affected. But I find how markets change interesting.
Open Source Software continues to make advances. There is continual news coming from the Linux Foundation and Industrial IoT Consortium.
Podcasts have been on my daily agenda for twenty years. Here are some recents that are interesting and educating:
Analysts Benedict Evans and Toni Cowen-Brown discuss current tech trends at Another Podcast. Check out “Asking Dumb Questions.”
John Gruber of Daring Fireball interviews Ken Locienda about the origins of the iPhone.
Listen to the most impassioned plea for science and math education I’ve heard on Moira Gunn’s TechNation podcast interview with George Yancopoulos.
I’ve practiced varieties of health and fitness activities for years. Peter Attia, MD, has become a favored source of information. Check out How Fructose Drives Metabolic Disease and The Science of Obesity.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 13, 2021 | Operations Management, Podcast
I’ve unleashed another podcast into the wild. Find it on Overcast or your podcast player of choice.
While thinking about the proliferation of as-a-service models of business, thoughts of that 70s and 80s British comedy TV show came to mind. Are you being served? Proved feasible by Salesforce and then adopted by many including recently HPE as the strategy for the entire company, we are witnessing automation companies exploring the as-a-service business model. I wonder how far it will go.
