As part of the collaboration, Siemens customers aiming to develop and make available their apps in the public cloud will be able to choose in future between Microsoft datacenters in different locations around the world. With Azure Stack, the aim is for them to also utilize Azure services within their own datacenter: They will benefit from the scalability and efficient management of a public cloud solution without compromising the scope for control offered by their own datacenter.
"With Azure, Microsoft is offering an innovative, secure and hyper-scalable global cloud computing platform. Integrating Siemens MindSphere and Microsoft Azure will fuel local innovation and provide customers greater flexibility and choice. It supports manufacturing companies to succeed with their digital transformation using public cloud solutions and benefit from the full potential offered by IoT, big data and machine learning applications,” said Sabine Bendiek, Area Vice President Microsoft Germany.
In addition to Java, JavaScript and Python, plans are in place for MindSphere to also support .NET applications in the future, which will allow .NET developers to benefit from existing applications and expertise when developing new MindSphere apps. This will cut down the familiarization period and programming work involved, and enable faster project implementation.
"We are delighted to be working with Microsoft to expand our MindSphere offering. This will help us drive forward the expansion of our open IoT ecosystem still further. It will create additional opportunities for customers, partners and third-party suppliers to use digital services and so enhance the productivity of plants and machines”, explained Peter Weckesser, COO of the Product Lifecycle Management Business Unit, Siemens AG.
MindSphere is designed as an open IoT ecosystem. It can be used by industrial enterprises as the basis for their own digital services, in fields such as predictive maintenance, energy data management or resource optimization. Machine and plant engineering companies in particular can use the platform to monitor machine fleets distributed around the world for servicing purposes, to reduce standstill periods and so offer new business models. MindSphere also provides the foundation for data-based services from Siemens such as predictive maintenance of machine tools (Machine Tool Analytics) or integrated drive systems (Drive Train Analytics).
Siemens and Microsoft at the SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg
Microsoft and Siemens have worked together to support communication standards in industry for many years. Within the scope of the SPS IPC Drives from November 22 – 24, 2016 in Nuremberg, Microsoft will be present in the Siemens MindSphere Lounge showcasing services to facilitate the work of app developers designing solutions for the MindSphere platform. One example of this is a mixed-reality app on Microsoft HoloLens which is connected to a Simatic S7 controller. The Holo S7 MindApp demo shows a three-dimensional model, the device’s digital twin, visualizes its operating state and writes back values through gesture control.
More information is available at www.siemens.com/mindsphere
For all information about Siemens at the SPS IPC Drives 2016 go to www.siemens.com/press/sps2016
