Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure architecture will use Microsoft Azure for use cases such as predictive maintenance and asset performance with hologram technology.
Energy management and automation provider Schneider Electric is teaming up with Microsoft to accelerate open IoT app development for multiple industries including smart buildings, data centers, and utility grids.
Customers will be able to access multiple cloud-based apps from Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure architecture along with the full capabilities of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The companies said such access will improve decision making and efficiency.
EcoStruxure is Schneider’s open IoT system architecture. It uses IoT, mobility, cloud, analytics and cybersecurity technology for the connected products, edge control, and apps, analytics and services verticals. The company said it is currently connecting over 1 billion devices.
“By bringing together the strengths of our two companies, we hope to continue to make IoT valuable, delivering tangible and measurable business results, allowing customers to tap into new data, create new insights and fuel digital transformation in their organization,” said Cyril Perducat, executive vice president of IoT and Digital Transformation at Schneider Electric.
According to their announcement, the companies will integrate Microsoft’s cloud offerings with Schneider’s experience in data centers, smart buildings, power and plant management, and utilities to enable companies in a variety of markets to take advantage of the IoT. Currently that includes cloud-based applications for plant, building, asset and personnel optimization. Schneider says more capabilities will be released later this year.
Schneider’s EcoStruxure architecture and Microsoft’s Azure will work together to provide advanced analytics and predictive maintenance to industrial companies, Schneider stated. They will also offer “mixed reality” capabilities that will let companies use digital hologram technology to enhance user experience. Dubbed HoloLens, Schneider says they will continue to integrate it with their process design and enterprise asset management offerings.
