VMware joins Dell and Dell EMC's membership on the steering committee of the Industrial Internet Consortium

Together, the companies are taking a leadership position to drive innovation in the Industrial Internet of Things

PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/25/16 -- VMware, Inc.(NYSE: VMW) today announced that it is participating in the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), an open membership, international not-for-profit consortium that is setting architectural frameworks and direction for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). VMware will participate in the IIC as a voting member through the steering committee, as a component of the membership seat currently held by Dell and Dell EMC.

Collectively, VMware, Dell and Dell EMC have committed to serve three years on the committee, joining IBM, SAP, General Electric, Fujitsu, Intel, The MITRE Corporation, RTI, and Schneider Electric to align standards and innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) space. As members of the steering committee, VMware, in conjunction with Dell and Dell EMC, will be heavily involved in providing input, guidance and direction to the organization around standards for IoT and participating in test beds and studies to maximize contributions to the IIC and the rapidly expanding IIoT.

"This is another step that demonstrates VMware's commitment to the Internet of things," said Bask Iyer, chief information officer and general manager, IoT, VMware. "Ensuring we help move the IoT technology forward and drive standards in this space is critical and that is why we are thrilled to be joining the IIC steering committee and to be a part of driving this important work in furthering innovation in the Industrial Internet of Things."

"Joining the IIC steering committee is an important step in our work advancing this critical technology, as well as upgrading our commitment to an esteemed organization working to align standards and architectures for the IIoT," said Andy Rhodes, vice president and general manager, IoT, Dell. "We look forward to continuing to work with our fellow members at the IIC to pave the way toward a truly connected world."

While businesses look to integrate IIoT into their organizations and offerings, significant changes must be made for IIoT to reach enterprise grade and scale. In its current state, the operations side of the business primarily drives IIoT. As the shift turns from pilot projects to enterprise production, IT involvement is necessary for efficient management and security. VMware, Dell and Dell EMC solutions are designed to help address these concerns and allow IT to provide businesses with the proper infrastructure necessary to keep businesses from being disrupted while also enabling operational technology (OT) to streamline its management and operations of IIoT to scale across these newly-connected objects.