GE Digital has launched a next-generation RMM (remote monitoring and management) software suite designed for industrial IoT (Internet of Things) use cases. The suite, called Asset Performance Management, runs on GE's Predix platform -- a cloud-based hub for IoT software developers, partners and customers.

GE says the APM suite has three tiers:

  • Machine and Equipment Health provides a unified view of the asset, virtually anytime, anywhere, to understand equipment performance at many levels, to reduce the effort it takes to collect and report on asset data, and ultimately to make faster decisions, GE claims.
  • Reliability Management predicts equipment issues so operators can schedule maintenance activities to remedy them and avert costly unplanned downtime. It also streamlines case and issue management with cross-functional collaboration tools and a single “source of truth” of asset health for maintenance, operations, engineering, and other functions, GE asserts.
  • Maintenance Optimization, which will be available later in 2016, helps operators develop optimal long-term asset maintenance strategies; balancing asset life, maintenance costs, and risk, GE added.

GE Reaches Out to Systems Integrators

Take a closer look, and GE's APM strategy somewhat resembles a next-generation RMM software platform. Thousands of VARs and MSPs leverage RMM software from a range of companies to proactively manage servers, PCs, notebooks, routers, switches and more. But as the Internet of Things begins to take hold, RMM software companies will likely evolve their platforms to monitor and manage new types of Internet-connected devices.

The big question: Will industrial giants like GE promote their IoT and monitoring platforms to service providers? There are signs that GE is heading in that direction. The APM offering is built atop Predix, an IoT management platform that more than 7,500 developers now leverage. Take a closer look, and you'll find GE marketing Predix to "systems integrators seeking new ways to help industrial customers."

Somewhat similarly, APM puts a new spin on the classic RMM use cases. GE claims APM allows customers to use "data and analytics to reduce unplanned downtime, improve reliability and availability, minimize Total Cost of Ownership, and reduce operational risks."