Microsoft’s pre-configured Azure IoT Suite solution went on sale recently, and with it, the company is now touting its predictive maintenance function as an important selling point for business adoption. During Convergence EMEA conference in Spain this week, Microsoft announced the addition of predictive maintenance to its pre-configured solutions, to provide a highly sought after feature for customers.
As the scope of the Internet of Things branches out beyond home security or wearables into much larger industry devices such as oil pumps or cargo ships, predictive maintenance becomes a larger sticking point for customers. As more IoT devices stream near-constant information from various sensors back to devices, customers are looking to leverage that knowledge into shorter or preemptive maintenance times. Savings customers see from utilizing the right software at the right time, could arguably lead to savings to average consumers down the road.
Microsoft’s predictive maintenance feature enables customers to use actionable predictions based on a company’s data source or the normalization of data to test against trends.
With the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite, enterprises can quickly and easily connect, monitor assets and analyze data in real time. The predictive maintenance preconfigured solution in the Azure IoT Suite takes that data and uses rich dashboards and visualizations to provide businesses with a new intelligence that can improve efficiencies and enhance revenue streams.”
Each business is different and could require specialized strategies for predictive maintenance, which is why Microsoft is also patterning with several device partners to ensure testing and certification of platforms to enable faster Azure IoT implementations for customers. Since its launch, Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT has managed to partner with:
- Adlink Systems
- Arduino
- e-con Systems,
- Embedded Systems SIA
- Nexcom International
- Samsung
- and Toradex
Microsoft is continuing to build out its Azure IoT ecosystem with another partnering that includes location-based services company, Esri. The new partnership could result in the location and tracking of vehicle charging ports for electric vehicles.
While some are focused on bringing home automation to the forefront or experimenting with in-dash car UI’s, Microsoft appears to be using its IoT platform to continue its productivity and business minded push into the future.
