Microsoft, BMW to create Open Manufacturing Platform for developing smart factories

FRANKFURT: Microsoft Corp and BMW Group on Tuesday launched an initiative to create an Open Manufacturing Platform that seeks to stimulate innovation and accelerate the development of ‘smart’ factories.
It’s the second alliance of its kind in a week after Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services teamed up to connect the German car maker’s 122 group plants to improve production systems and processes.
Both deals reflect a push by ‘hyperscale’ cloud computing providers to capture and manage the terabytes of data thrown off by the network of connected devices such as robots and sensors that make up the so-called Internet of Things (IoT).
“Microsoft is joining forces with the BMW Group to transform digital production efficiency across the industry,” Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Microsoft Cloud + AI Group, said of the alliance that was announced during the Hanover Messe industrial trade fair.