The 2019 Internet of Things (IoT) Festival on June 18 at the Melbourne Convention Centre will feature a wide variety of participants, including sponsor digital transformation company Pactera. Here, we look at where Pactera fits in the IoT landscape.
IoT-generated big data has expanded the horizons and requirements of multiple industries to the point where existing ERM systems can feel limited in the information they’re able to provide.
Pactera is tackling this problem. It develops, modernises and optimises digital platforms for large organisations and governments that are seeking to further embrace digital transformation. These platforms include OctoIoT, which integrates with existing operations to analyse more data, manage operations and produce more insight.
Taking manufacturing further
One branch of Pactera’s OctoIoT involves ‘intelligent manufacturing’. OctoIoT sits atop the business ecosystem, including the corporate network and factory floor operations, and uses AI to monitor it. By analysing the data and using big data and AI-driven insights, it can forecast and calculate decisions to enhance manufacturing management.
By connecting ERP and business intelligence platforms with IoT, workflows and assets can be managed automatically. This approach can not only optimise product building and related assets and workflows, but also human resources and production execution.
The system doesn’t just operate at the factory-level either. It can use Microsoft Azure cloud services to connect factories and businesses around the world.
OctoIoT helps makes smart factories smarter. It continually monitors data from equipment, sensors and controllers, enabling Pactera to “Promote collaboration among equipment, process and human-beings.” This enhances production optimisation and results in faster, easier and better-informed decision-making with regards to plans, scheduling, equipment utilisation, power consumption and production quality.
The OctoIoT platform manages this process at multiple levels. At the control level, this includes smart devices, sensors, remote terminal units and controllers, plus M2M communications, SCADA and Edge servers. These components communicate with Manufacturing Execution Systems and threat controllers, and overarching planning resources such as ERP, APIs, scanning resources, CAD and Product Lifecycle Management.
OctoIoT continually transmits information over the internet via Azure, where it analyses device management, decision making, applications, DevOps and design-to-manufacturing processes with everything displayed and manageable via PCs, tablets and smartphones.
Pactera claims the technology has reduced production cycle time for some customers by 45 percent, and reduced costs by reducing usage and optimising maintenance.
Smart cities
OctoIoT scales from projects involving conveyor-belt sensors through to city water management. And with so much data to be managed and analysed from multiple smart factories, it’s not surprising that Pactera operates in smart city environments. This includes managing pump and pipe systems in a city’s plumbing.
There is also a solution built on OctoIoT for businesses, which is suitable for smart hotels, offices and buildings. It integrates multiple components, such as keyless check-in, room control, smart front desk, smart space management and energy tracking.
A key OctoIoT feature is its broad scope. Pactera takes advantage of the IoT ecosystem to provide a solution that encompasses devices and edge computing gateways, through to systems integrated with AI-driven business workflows. It has enabled more than 2,000 devices in its solution, which is controllable via edge or cloud computing.
OctoIoT provides the security, reliability and manageability required for such complex solutions. This includes limiting data usage to keep sensitive data in a safe zone, while providing convenient access to smart systems.
Pactera will be participating as a sponsor at the 2019 IoT Festival on June 18 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Get tickets here. See the IoT Festival agenda.
