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Apple and GE join up to bring industrial apps to iPhones

19 October, 2017

Apple and GE have formed a partnership to deliver industrial apps that will bring predictive data and analytics from Predix, GE’s industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform, to Apple's iPhones and iPads. The two companies have unveiled a software development kit (SDK) for Apple's iOS operating system, that gives developers the tools to make their own Predix-based industrial IoT apps.

“GE is an ideal partner with a rich history of innovation across the industrial world in areas like aviation, manufacturing, healthcare and energy,” says Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. “Together, Apple and GE are fundamentally changing how the industrial world works by combining GE’s Predix platform with the power and simplicity of iPhone and iPad.”

“The partnership between Apple and GE is providing developers with the tools to make their own powerful industrial IoT apps,” adds GE chairman and CEO, John Flannery. “Our customers increasingly need to arm their workforces through mobility. Working together, GE and Apple are giving industrial companies access to powerful apps that help them tap into the predictive data and analytics of Predix right on their iPhone or iPad.”

The Predix SDK for iOS will be available from 26 October. It gives developers the ability to produce powerful, native apps that take advantage of Predix’s industrial analytics and tap into the power and ease of use of iOS.

These apps will give industrial operators more insight and visibility into the performance of their equipment and operations from mobile devices. For example, a Predix app could notify a worker on their iPhone of a potential issue with equipment and allow them to collaborate with remote teams when performing inspections and repairs, collecting relevant data instantly. The apps will close the information loop faster, leading to cost savings and minimising unplanned downtime.

Working with Apple, GE is also developing apps for internal use and for its customers, giving them powerful tools to enhance their jobs and help operations run more efficiently.

The new partnership will bring the predictive data and analytics capabilities of GE's Predix platform to Apple's iPhone and iPad devices

For example, GE’s Asset Performance Management (APM) Cases app, which is already available in the App Store, helps industrial businesses to increase machine reliability and availability, while reducing maintenance costs and managing operations risks.

Customers, including the US energy provider Exelon, are already using APM and seeing improved equipment uptime and productivity. “Apple is known for setting the standard on hardware and simple software interfaces,” says Brian Hoff, Exelon’s director of corporate innovation. “When you combine this with the power of Predix and all of the data Exelon is aggregating and analysing, the possibilities for game-changing solutions are endless.”

GE plans to standardise on iPhone and iPad for mobile devices and also to promote Apple’s Mac platform as a choice for its global workforce of more than 330,000 people. Apple will promote GE’s Predix as the industrial IoT analytics platform of choice to its customers and developers.




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