Schneider Electric unveiled an update to its Wonderware Online cloud platform that provides users with new real-time data and analytics capabilities.
Wonderware helps end-users to collect, visualize and manage operational data across industrial operations. The new real-time data and analytics features provide greater functionality for industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications. According to the vendor, the accelerated adoption of low-cost sensors and smart devices is driving industrial organizations to seek out solutions to better take advantage of their IoT applications.
That’s where Wonderware Online comes in. The company noted in its announcement that the new real-time data and analytics capabilities present a more complete information management and decision support solution.
“Wonderware Online is a modern, secure and cost-effective way to collect and visualize performance data on the fly, with minimal IT burden,” said Michal Postula, product manager for Wonderware Online at Schneider Electric, in a statement. “With the help of Microsoft Azure, we provide an intelligent service that is open, scalable and available globally anywhere, anytime.”
Since Wonderware is built on top of the Microsoft Azure public cloud, the cloud platform also enables integration with Microsoft Office 365, including the ability to link time-series data stored in Wonderware to Microsoft Excel. According to Schneider, the tool — dubbed Wonderware Online Insight Connector — lets users run custom formulas, perform ad hoc analysis and create Excel-based reports and charts.
“At Microsoft, we understand the importance of uncovering actionable insights to continually improve business operations,” said Andrea Carl, director of commercial communications at Microsoft, in a statement. “We are pleased to see the Wonderware Online solution benefit our mutual customers, powered by the global scale, enterprise-grade security and high availability of Microsoft Azure.”
An IDC Canada report from last year indicated the total addressable IoT market in Canada will be valued at more than $6.5 billion by 2018.