GE and Bosch have signed a memorandum of understanding whereby GE Digital and Bosch Software Innovations will facilitate openness and growth of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). The agreement focuses on technology interoperability and platform integration through GE’s Predix operating system and the Bosch IoT suite.
The companies intend to make complementary software services available on each other’s cloud platforms to enhance the overall value of each cloud offering and provide solutions to a wider customer base. They plan to establish an open source-based technical IoT core and jointly grow a larger ecosystem around this technology stack, which IoT platforms can be built upon.
Key engagement is within the Eclipse Foundation, which is a major global open source software community, of which both companies are members. The focus projects include Eclipse Hono, Eclipse Vorto, Eclipse Leshan, GE-enhanced UAA (User Account and Authentication) and Eclipse ACS (Access Control Service), which are specifically tailored around device connectivity.
In any IoT application, things need to be connected to a backend where data and functionality of the devices are leveraged to provide higher-level business value. Within the Eclipse community, through the contribution of many IoT developers, tools and standards are openly created, which many companies can benefit from for their IoT applications.
“No company can realise the IoT on its own,” said Rainer Kallenbach, CEO of Bosch Software Innovations.
“Our organisations both have a rich history of manufacturing products, big and small, so we share a common understanding and vision regarding the opportunities in connectivity.”
“It’s industrial companies working together that will make a difference in the Industrial Internet of Things,” said Bill Ruh, CEO of GE Digital.