Internet of Things and Data Analytics Handbook

26INDUSTRIAL INTERNET

DAVID BARTLETT

General Electric, San Ramon, CA, USA

26.1 INTRODUCTION (HISTORY, WHY, AND BENEFITS)

The Internet fundamentally changed our lives, from the way we connect with each other to how we conduct business globally. It has ushered in a century where everyone is “a global citizen.” It’s a sweeping social disruption that not only brings with it new inventions and scientific advances but will also revolutionize both the methods of work and the workers themselves. The Internet Revolution is, according to some, the Industrial Revolution of our time. The Internet, however, is not the end of the transformational story. It is rather only the beginning and will continue to serve as a foundational construct for a number of new advances as well.

Perhaps one of the most impactful new advances is the Industrial Internet that is enabling a new transformation in industrial infrastructures at a global level. The Industrial Internet revolution is anticipated to be the most disruptive technology in the industry since the Internet revolution. An ever‐increasing majority of surveyed industrial companies strongly believe that Big Data analytics (Figure 26.1) is a top priority for their organization. In fact, many believe that companies that lack an Industrial Internet adoption strategy will lose competitive edge and quickly fall behind their competitors. The Industrial Internet is just beginning, with its most important defining moments happening now. As we start to ...