The first new service is called IoT Central and gives Azure IoT customers the ability to deploy and manage their ecosystem. Microsoft is pitching this as a sort of IoT-as-a-service, allowing customers to manage cloud, analytics, networks, devices, and software under one service roof. What is most interesting about IoT Central, is that it is among the only services available that allows this vast blanket of functionality. The service will be rolling out in the coming months. You can check out the details at the web portal. Another new addition to Microsoft’s Internet of Things arsenal is Azure IoT Suite: Connected Factory. Introduced at Hannover Messe, this service gives customers tools to accelerate their migration to Industrie 4.0.
Microsoft says Connected Factory makes it simple to connect on-premises OPC UA and OPC Classic devices to the cloud. Additionally, the service provides insights to make sure such migrations are efficient. The third new Azure IoT Suite service is Azure Time Series Insights. Microsoft describes it as a “fully managed analytics, storage and visualization service that makes it simple to interactively and instantly explore and analyze billions of events from an IoT solution.”
IoT Bigger Picture
One of the key aspects of these services is that their further Microsoft’s goal to become a one-for-all IoT provider. In theory, it is easier for companies to get all their Internet of Things solutions from one provider. This approach save time, money, and makes it easier to troubleshoot issues. Instead of spreading across providers within an ecosystem, Microsoft believes organizations will want a bundled service. Of course, the company employs this tactic on virtually all of its software products, from Windows to Office.
