Apple and GE team up to deliver IoT apps

Developers are set to benefit from powerful new analytics tools for industrial applications, thanks to a partnership between GE and Apple.

The Predix software development kit (SDK) will enable companies to make their own IoT apps, tapping into the growing market for connected devices.

The new SDK will be available for download from October 26 and will enable developers to build on the analytics functionality of GE’s Predix, by combining it with Apple’s iOS to produce a new set of industrial apps.

It is expected that that new apps will enable operators with iPhones and iPads to have greater insight into how IoT equipment is functioning. For example, an app could be used to inform an iPhone user of a malfunctioning piece of equipment, while at the same time, other members of the team could be alerted to the need to fix the item.

Apple predicts that the system will mean faster repair times and less overall downtime.

Industrial apps

GE is also collaborating with Apple for the development of apps for its own internal use. Furthermore, Apple will be working with GE to develop apps for the industrial giant’s existing companies, including GE’s Asset Performance Management (APM) Cases app, designed to improve equipment reliability.

“GE is an ideal partner with a rich history of innovation across the industrial world in areas like aviation, manufacturing, healthcare and energy,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Together, Apple and GE are fundamentally changing how the industrial world works by combining GE’s Predix platform with the power and simplicity of iPhone and iPad.”

“The partnership between Apple and GE is providing developers with the tools to make their own powerful industrial IoT apps,” said John Flannery, Chairman and CEO, GE. “Our customers increasingly need to arm their workforces through mobility. Working together, GE and Apple are giving industrial companies access to powerful apps that help them tap into the predictive data and analytics of Predix right on their iPhone or iPad.”

As part of the agreement, GE will standardize on Apple for mobile devices, and also promote Mac as a choice for its global workforce of more than 330,000 employees, while Apple will in turn promote GE’s Predix as its industrial IoT analytics platform of choice.