The IIoT involves Big Data. "Being in process control, you're used to historians, and that's a lot of data," said Darek Kominek, senior product marketing manager, Matrikon. "But the more information you have, the more conclusions you can draw. Big Data is even more than you're used to."
That Big Data needs big analysis, which is best done with the power of cloud computing, Kominek said. "A cloud is a communal area where information can be stored, analyzed and shared among various entities, from within your organization to supply chain, equipment, service and customer companies, to coordinate and optimize how a business runs," Kominek explained. "There are hundreds of different types of clouds, both public and private."
Processed information comes back to the factory floor to empower the workforce, often through "cognitive augmentation," Kominek said. "It doesn't replace the experts on the ground; it gives them the information and insights they need to be more effective."
To learn more, read “This is the dawning of the 'Age of IIoT'” from Control.