Cisco Connected Factory for Industrie 4.0: moving intelligence into action with smart factories

HANNOVER, Germany – April 25, 2017: The machines that make up a modern factory create more than just sweatshirts or submarines. They create lots and lots of data. This data can tell you everything from how efficient the machine is to how likely it is to break. For plant managers, being able to see and act on this data is key. It holds the secrets to new product introduction velocity, real-time and dynamic optimization, and productivity stats at the worker level. It even allows access to a so-called ‘product pedigree’ – so customers can track a product across the supply chain.

To help plant managers tap into that data, Cisco is introducing three new solutions to the Connected Factory portfolio. In doing so, we are laying the foundation for Industrie 4.0.; and our own Digital Network Architecture, or DNA, is powering it. Welcome to the next generation of smart manufacturing.

• Time Sensitive Networking is now supported on the IE4000 Switch family : A new standard that protects the data and ensures those mission critical applications are running smoothly on the network. And, what you purchase today will work with new applications tomorrow.
• Connected Asset Manager (CAM) for IoT Intelligence: Not looking for just another visualization tool? This one is unique. It can extract data from a variety of sources – and tie together multiple existing data threads in the plant across today’s legacy system siloes. Oh, and it’s also open and analytic-engine agnostic. Reporting is easy – just drag and drop data in a simple interface.
• Industrial Network Director: Made with operators in mind – not just IT. It gives factories full control of the plant network. You can also set-up faster and risk less downtime. Plus, it offers true plug-and-play functionality. Install your managed switch and rest assured that the proper security, settings, and functionality are set. No manual programming required.

Data must be actionable. Cisco Connected Factory brings the power of data across the manufacturing siloes of today. Our solutions provide full visibility, with a focus on three things:

• Simplicity: Use Cisco’s trusted network to connect everything and get the most out of your factory floor.
• Security: Avoid the front page of the newspaper, our security solutions have you covered.
• Better intelligence: The more you know, the faster you can act. We get the information in the right hands.

As the leader in IT across multiple industries, our rich history gives us a unique lens into the manufacturing world. We understand that a smart network is necessary to get to the ‘right’ data, and we know the impact that kind of insight has into the business. Together, with our growing list of ecosystem partners – Cisco can help manufacturers make the most of their factories.

Bryan Tantzen, Sr. Director, Manufacturing and Connected Industries, Cisco:

“A recent survey by industry analyst firm ARC Advisory Group [1] announced that Cisco is number one in worldwide marketshare for managed industrial switches. With customers moving to smart factories, we’re rapidly outgrowing our competitors. Manufacturers can rest assured that Cisco’s strength in manufacturing, along with decades of networking and security expertise in the enterprise, has uniquely qualified us to follow suit in the factory. With our leading industrial partners, we bring the best of IT and operational technology to the table. We make Industrie 4.0 a reality.”

CUSTOMER QUOTES

Kenny Tsang, Vice President Quality, Foxconn FG Group:

“As a global technology industry leader that manufactures products for some of the world’s most iconic brands, technological innovation is key to all aspects of our operations, including exploring ways to drive our Factory of the Future with quality and delivery excellence. We believe that Cisco offers the innovation and real-time visibility we need to help achieve our goals, while optimizing our operational efficiency across our plants."

Dirk Schlesinger, CDO, TÜV SÜD :

“As a leader in the testing, inspection, and certification industry, we help our customers ensure the safety and efficiency of their elevators – by a global network of experts, soon to be augmented by integrated and secure data-driven devices. The Connected Asset Manager for IoT Intelligence solution will help us to create a new service portfolio for SmartElevators, which will increase our operational efficiency and enable us to deliver an enhanced value proposition to our customers.”

Caroline Dowling, President, Flex, CEC Communications Infrastructure & Enterprise Compute :

“Using Connected Asset Manager for IoT Intelligence, we have been able not only to reduce our energy consumption, but also to realize a continual increase in those savings. As we continue to implement more of the capabilities of the software, we anticipate even greater operational efficiencies."

PARTNER QUOTES

Ben Salama, Connected Operations Lead at Accenture Mobility, Part of Accenture Digital:

“Hannover Messe is a great opportunity to demonstrate how manufacturers can take advantage of connected solutions developed specifically for their industry. Together with Cisco, we will be showcasing examples of how we have combined Accenture’s experience in smart manufacturing with Cisco’s Connected Factory infrastructure to help clients achieve tangible benefits from the Industrial Internet of Things.”

Scott Rust, Senior Vice President, R&D, National Instruments:

“National Instruments is committed to the creation of an open, high performance foundation for IIoT and Industrie 4.0 applications based on TSN. We have been participating with Cisco and others in standards bodies to define the technology and have had close collaboration in creating some of the first TSN-enabled industrial products. Our joint work enables our customers to combine Cisco TSN network infrastructure and NI TSN enabled industrial controllers to build their smart manufacturing systems and realize business outcomes faster.”