December 3, 2014 – ABB says it is joining the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC); founded in March 2014, the group consists of more than 100 companies, organizations and universities working to “drive innovation, develop standards, boost interoperability and ensure security”.

“The industrial internet holds incredible promise to transform manufacturing, energy and resource industries,” said Claes Rytoft, ABB chief technology officer.

The Industrial Internet reflects the accelerating application of sensors, software and improved communication technology, explains ABB, allowing engineers to leverage volumes of data from industrial systems to boost efficiency.

“The industrial internet is transformational… it changes the way we work,” said Dr. Richard Soley, IIC executive director. “[It] presents new opportunities for cost savings, energy savings and other efficiencies.”

Evolving communication technology and lower sensor costs, combined with higher performance of computers, offer new opportunities to collect, evaluate and integrate even more information from industrial facilities to boost efficiency, fine-tune maintenance and trim energy costs, added ABB.