Digital transformation facilitates data-driven co-creation

Allan Yang, Chief Technology Officer at Advantech, stated: “While IoT is currently flourishing, and many companies have invested in connectivity and data collection equipment, we are still in the early stages of generating value from IoT data. Since WISE-PaaS launched in 2014, Advantech has continued its integration and improved connectivity with open source communities. Our IoT software modules are developed to create operational cloud platform services oriented around the commercial value generated by data acquisition. Data-driven innovation has thus become the main target for our WISE-PaaS evolution.”

To help advance IoT development, WISE-PaaS 3.0 offers four main function modules:

• WISE-PaaS/SaaS Composer: A cloud configuration tool with visible workflow. WISE-PaaS/SaaS Composer supports customised component plotting for simple and intuitive 3D modelling application and interaction. It updates views at millisecond rates, and, together with WISE-PaaS/Dashboard, presents critical management data in a visually intuitive display to help extract valuable data and improve operational efficiency.
• WISE-PaaS/AFS (AI Framework Service): An artificial intelligence training model and deployment service framework. The WISE-PaaS/AFS provides a simple drag and drop interface that allows developers to quickly input industrial data. When combined with AI algorithms, the service builds an effective inference engine with automatic deployment to edge computing platforms. AFS offers model accuracy management, model retraining, and automated redeployment. It simultaneously controls multiple AI models in the application field; offering automated model accuracy improvements and life-cycle management services.
• WISE-PaaS/APM (Asset Performance Management): An equipment network connection remote maintenance service framework. WISE-PaaS/APM connects to a wide array of on-site industrial equipment controls and communication protocols. It supports the latest edge computing open standard, EdgeX Foundry, and includes built-in equipment management and workflow integration templates. Jointly with the AFS, APM accelerates Machine to Intelligence (M2I) application development.
• Microservice development framework: WISE-PaaS contains a micro service development framework to help developers rapidly create program design frameworks while reducing development requisites. Micro service functions, such as service finding, load balancing, service administration, and configuration centre, all offer built-in flexible support mechanisms.

Yang explained: “Many industry partners have invested in equipment data acquisition in the hope of introducing AI driven equipment and intelligent workflow management, while actively seeking methods and tools to extract value from their data. Industry partners are usually reserved in disclosing to outsiders the high-value, industry-specific information they have accumulated over the years.

“Advantech is learning about the pain points each industrial sector must overcome in order to provide efficient technological support. Our company has found that through co-creation, the collaborative design of IoT-based cloud platform solutions can effectively combine the strengths of both parties to create win-win situations.”

Advantech’s proficiency with cloud data processing and application development, coupled with partner expertise, forms a potent combination of OT and IT that facilitates optimal data collection, management, and analysis.

Starting this year, co-creation projects in a number of fields were undertaken with the participation of domain-focused solution integrators (DFSIs). Advantech recently established a water treatment system, jointly developed with GSD (China) and a CNC equipment remote operation service, jointly developed with Yeong Chin Machinery Industries. Both partnerships demonstrate how industrial digital transformations, through the co-creation model, offer innovative win-win IoT solutions.