There’s an App For That: Addressing the Emerging Industrial App Economy

Modern-day consumers have become quite accustomed to living in the world of apps, using them for a wide variety of purposes. In an article published by Industry Week, Rob McKeel, president and CEO of GE Automation & Controls, writes about the emerging industrial app economy—how the use of apps is being translated into the field of manufacturing.

McKeel predicts that industrial apps will have a huge impact in numerous areas of the industrial sector, including energy, healthcare and transportation. Key to the growth of the industrial app economy, he writes, will be the “interoperability and compatibility of apps.”

Similarly to how people connect in order to operate with greater efficiency and intelligence, connected controllers for machines will bring together the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing. This connection will allow machines to operate and communicate better, optimizing their productivity.

The development of the industrial app economy will allow for use of Big Data—that is, the plethora of data produced by machinery with “smart” capabilities. McKeel explains that “machines will rely on apps, as people already do, for nearly everything: improving their health, feeding themselves better and even socializing with each other.”

To read the article in full, visit Industry Week.