Software AG now specifically styles itself as an IoT data analytics company and has extended its cloud platform with Cumulocity.
To fit with its new IoT-centric image, Software AG has launched an extended Cumulocity IoT technology portfolio for cloud-based IoT platform services.
The German company acquired Cumulocity back in March, for its technology in networked digital device and sensor management and its application development platform. Now that this technology has been embedded in the total Software AG portfolio, Cumulocity IoT is said to offer ‘self-service’ IoT software to enable organizations to develop their own IoT applications.
In terms of deployment, the Cumulocity IoT portfolio operates at the edge (for on- or near-device ‘edge’ computing), either on the cloud or in on-premise mode. This breadth is claimed by the company to allow more choice when designing, building, deploying and upgrading enterprise IoT applications and services.
Read more: Huawei and Software AG partner on IoT solutions
Instant IoT, just add data
In terms of functionality, Cumulocity IoT offers a selection of ‘instant’ pre-packaged elements, including condition monitoring (to report on device health and status), predictive maintenance (for forward servicing needs) and track & trace (to identify device location and enable these previously noted functions).
As per the software’s original architecture and feature set, Cumulocity IoT also offers device and sensor management. This, says Software AG, brings together the worlds of data-centric core IT and operational technology.
In summary, Cumulocity IoT combines Software AG’s Digital Business Platform and the original Cumulocity products into a single IoT portfolio. Looking at the integration of this software from the other end, Cumulocity IoT can now benefit from Software AG’s integration, business process, analytics and machine learning capabilities – all of which are based on the company’s heritage in enterprise middleware.
According to Software AG executives, Cumulocity IoT is designed to meet the needs of two distinct groups in the IoT market: first, companies that are using IoT to enhance their own products and services; and second, IoT service providers looking to build and commercialize an IoT platform.
In the words of Software AG CTO Dr Wolfram Jost: “Cumulocity IoT provides enterprises with the ability to very quickly start limited scale, cloud-based IoT projects and, as their sophistication grows, be confident to build IoT platform and IoT services that will grow with them. Enterprises can develop and implement IoT services at the optimal balance between risk and ambition, at their pace, at their choice.”
Cumulocity IoT is already in use at companies including Deutsche Telekom, Gardner Denver, Octo Telematics, NTT Communication and Reliance Group.
Read more: Software AG, data analytics in the realm of the unknown
ADAMOS IoT alliance
Software AG has also recently announced a joint venture in the IoT space it calls ADAMOS. This stands for ADAptive Manufacturing Open Solutions. It is a collaborative alliance with German manufacturing companies Dürr, Zeiss, DMG Mori and ASM PT, and its purpose is to establish global industry standards for the manufacturing sector using Software AG’s Cumulocity IoT as a technology foundation.
Software AG claims ADAMOS is customized to meet the specific needs of IoT machine and plant builders, enabling engineering companies to offer tested solutions for digitally networked production to their customers.
The ADAMOS App Factory concentrates the industry knowledge of its partners for joint development of IoT applications. More comprehensive applications focusing on issues such as planning, predictive maintenance, machine cockpit/dashboarding and maintenance assistance will be made available in the cloud from the beginning of 2018.
Read more: Dürr AG & Software AG, an industrielle IoT-partnerschaft
Smarter applications in the IoT
So can Software AG with Cumulocity IoT and ADAMOS really help make an IoT with better applications? That may be a tough one to call – but we can say with some certainty that the company is aiming to help industrial companies build an IoT with smarter applications.
According to Software AG, a so-called ‘smart’ application is built along Agile (with a capital A) lines and can adapt to rapidly shifting market factors by virtue of its microservices and event-driven architecture. Furthermore, it has access to both historical and real-time data and the power to tap into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Software AG will now concentrate on further widening its drive towards IoT technology, but dovetail that focus with this notion of composable applications that are essentially smart.
Software AG is being commended by tech analyst firms for its streaming analytics technologies and this practice is of course inherently well-suited to IoT deployments. The end result, if all these factors come together, could be a situation where networks, IoT device management and IoT-centric applications get smarter.
There’s a tough road ahead, because these enhancements don’t happen without a commensurate increase in complexity… but overall, the smart money is on smart IoT apps.
We’ll be taking a closer look at IoT development issues at our forthcoming IoT Build events in London in November 2017 and in San Francisco in March 2018.
