Schneider Electric extends strategic partnerships to enable IT/OT convergence

22nd June 2020

By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Senior Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Energy management and automation provider Schneider Electric has announced the expansion of its partnerships with technology companies to address the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).

Bringing together system integrators with IT solution providers to build integrated industrial edge computing solutions, the expanded partnerships have resulted in the immediate release of three programmes.

These are new reference designs, co-developed with AVEVA, and integrating solutions from Lenovo and Stratus; a learning path for system integrators; and a collaborative online community for learning and sharing opportunities within Schneider Electric Exchange.

The industrial edge programmes from Schneider Electric empower system integrators to expand their value to the end-user, enabling customers’ industrial digital transformations. 

“The smart factory is becoming smarter. Our expanded partnerships and new industrial edge programs empower system integrators to leverage their domain expertise and become IT/OT convergence specialists and meet these needs for their customers.”

We know that smart manufacturing is driving an unprecedented wave of IT technologies into industrial spaces. As companies leverage artificial intelligence (AI) robotic processing automation, and more, they will require edge computing solutions to reduce latency and enable resiliency, while ensuring privacy and security, and addressing important data and bandwidth requirements,” says Schneider Electric Industrial Automation senior VP Philippe Rambach.

INDUSTRIAL EDGE  

For industrial operators to capture the benefits of increased automation, they cannot rely on cloud-technology alone to bring the resiliency and speed demanded by AI, high-definition cameras and other Industry 4.0 technologies, posited Schneider.

Local edge data centres are IT infrastructure enclosures/spaces/facilities distributed geographically to enable endpoints on the network. When in industrial environments such as a manufacturing plant or distribution centre, this application is referred to as “industrial edge,” Rambach notes.

Analysts have identified the edge as becoming increasingly important.

Opening up new business models for system integrators, the newly announced industrial edge programs include reference designs that integrate the newest technologies to simplify design process.

Schneider Electric has unveiled new industrial edge reference designs, co-developed with AVEVA, including solutions from Lenovo and Stratus.

Reference designs are available in Schneider Electric’s Local Edge Configurator and can be customised to specifications. These new designs are a key factor in industrial edge success.

Technology service provider World Wide Technology finds the “ability to pre-configure technology platforms and devices before shipment increases deployment speed and can reduce field engineering costs by 25% to 40%, increase order processing speed by 20% and reduce maintenance costs by 7%.”

Based on the most common use cases in industrial automation, the reference designs reduce risk and time to market with fully customisable, pre-integrated EcoStruxure Micro Data Center solutions for any edge environment. System integrators will be freeing up time from the IT architecture to focus on the software and solutions, thanks to fully validated, secure solutions designed to the standards requested by IT departments, says Schneider.

EcoStruxure is Schneider’s open, interoperable, Internet of Things-enabled system architecture and platform.

Edge computing is an emerging trend for the industrial space presenting a new opportunity for system integrators to extend their business model and establish their role as consultants in both the OT and IT requirements.

This new learning program includes a comprehensive digital training series for system integrators on EcoStruxure Micro Data Center and EcoStruxure IT solutions and how they can address common challenges at the edge.

The 14-session development program focuses on how to leverage the reference designs and IT solution providers to deliver complete IT/OT convergence solutions for end-users. To access the digital training series, system integrators will connect through their Schneider Electric Alliance Partner Portal.

Built within Schneider Electric Exchange, the new Industrial Edge Community allows system integrators to easily identify and engage with edge-certified IT solution providers.

The Industrial Edge Community is designed to facilitate new business and address IT/OT projects.

The exchange platform also features a tool that pairs Alliance System Integrators with Schneider Electric’s Edge-certified IT Channel Partners.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION