Companies capitalize on industrial IoT data analysis

As sensors are attached to more and more industrial machines, these connected devices create a massive glut of data. But to unleash the true value of Internet of Things (IoT) data analysis, businesses need to have a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. In a panel discussion at the 2016 IoT Data Analytics & Visualization conference in Palo Alto, Calif., several speakers said the most important thing to keep in mind is that the industrial Internet should be about improving business processes, not just about implementing cool new technology. Nauman Sheikh, founder and CEO of analytics consulting firm Asrym Inc., said he recently worked with a large public utility to put sensors on maintenance trucks to do predictive maintenance. Sheikh built the predictive models that analyzed the data coming from the sensors to identify vibration patterns and other signs that a truck might be at risk of breaking down.