GE Transportation introduced EdgeLINC™ Software, a comprehensive solution for IIoT edge-to-cloud connectivity with efficient device management, configuration and streaming analytics capabilities. Industrial assets generate valuable information at the edge – or on a machine or device – where embedded sensors collect vast amounts of data.
When operating heavy machinery in variable environments, the ability to compute, manage, analyse and act upon that data is essential for companies to benefit from the Industrial Internet. In the rail industry, assets are mobile and constantly moving in and out of communication, making it even harder to derive value from data that lives on the edge.
“When it comes to transportation and other heavy industrial settings, seconds matter. Operators require the ability to take action on their physical assets immediately, either automatically with a train adjusting itself or by human intervention,” said Laurie Tolson, chief digital officer, GE Transportation. “Edge-level computing and analytics are about giving people actionable information to better manage how the physical world operates in real-time to improve industrial performance.”
EdgeLINC enables complete user control over configuration, telemetry, alerts and leverages SAS’s Event Stream Processing (ESP) engine integrated with Predix Machine, Predix Edge Manager and Asset Performance Management (APM) solutions. EdgeLINC is capable of running on GE Transportation’s GoLINC platform as well as third party devices, and supports on-premises, cloud and hybrid cloud deployment and integration.
“The combination of EdgeLINC’s extensible architecture and easy deployment on any edge device, any time, is further strengthened by the contributions of GE’s ecosystem partners” explained Tolson. “SAS ESP drives EdgeLINC’s rules-based, highly configurable analytics at the edge and Infosys brings an enterprise scale capability for integration services. Together, we can increase speed to value and success of delivery for our customers – not only those in the rail industry, but in other industrial verticals as well.”
“An edge-first approach is increasingly important as we migrate to a digital world. The combination of GE’s EdgeLINC and SAS®Event Streaming Processing enables enterprises to gain real-time insights and drive improved outcomes by harnessing the power of streaming edge analytics running on board connected locomotives,” said Jason Mann, vice president of IoT, SAS. “EdgeLINC moves away from static management techniques, with flexible rules processing for continuous updating and adapting on the fly.”
“As a strategic partner of GE focused on developing IoT solutions, we are excited about GE’s EdgeLINC solution,” said Ravi Kumar S., president and deputy chief operating officer, Infosys. “The solution streamlines the collection of edge-level sensor data, enables faster, seamless aggregation and integration into other cloud and enterprise systems, dissolving the layers of complexity for transportation organisations and operators.
GE and Infosys are working together on developing and deploying this solution, enabling customers to leap forward into Industrial IoT and improve operational metrics while reducing Total Cost of Ownership.”
EdgeLINC is already being deployed on over 1,000 locomotives by a major Class I railroad in North America, driving productivity from consolidation of management of multiple devices and applications, and operational efficiencies from real-time analytics of train crew performance.
GE Transportation unveiled EdgeLINC at Minds + Machines 2017, GE’s premier industrial Internet event dedicated to software, innovation and digital industrial transformation.
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