Oracle steps up IoT game, adds AI, digital twin, and enterprise data integration

Harnessing IoT in the Enterprise

Oracle said it has added digital twins, workflow threads between enterprise systems between the Internet of Things (IoT) to corporate data and embedded artificial intelligence to its IoT Cloud applications.

The company has been stepping up its IoT efforts, with an aim to easing deployments and delivering more business value. Like Salesforce and SAP, Oracle is arguing that melding corporate and customer data with the Internet of Things and analytics drives business value.

To Oracle, the IoT Cloud will ultimately blend augmented and virtual reality for efforts like preventative maintenance and inventory tracking. A demo highlighted how IoT, Oracle systems, and augmented and virtual reality can co-mingle.

Read also: Augmented reality: Oracle builds a compelling case

Lionel Chocron, vice president of IoT Solutions at Oracle, walked through the augmented and virtual reality demos. He noted that early adopters are looking at AR and VR, but he sees sectors like manufacturing are driving interest: "Our goal is to make IoT easy and focus on business outcomes," said Chocron.

Read also: 16 questions CXOs should ask before starting an IoT project

Oracle's take is that the decision makers on IoT applications are business leaders. IT is involved, but for the most part, business decision makers want integrated apps that can be implemented quickly.

The company outlined the following:

• IoT Cloud applications will have built-in digital twin, digital thread, which is an effort to integrate, interconnect, and optimize the supply chain and artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.

Here's a look at digital twin and AI overviews:

• IoT apps in the field--IoT Asset Monitoring, IoT Production Monitoring, IoT Fleet Monitoring and IoT Connected Worker--will use the enhanced features to offer predictive and automated workflows with ERP and supply chain systems.
• New industry-focused IoT apps will include Smart Connected Factor, Digital Field Service and Digital Fleet Management have launched.
• Oracle has broadened its roster of IoT device and systems integration partners.

What Oracle is going for is an approach to IoT that revolves around applications and corporate data -- two of the companies strongholds. The IoT platform space is very crowded and includes a bevy of players ranging from GE to AWS. Oracle IoT deployments include Vinci, Mitsubishi Electric, SoftBank, and Noble.

Oracle's Digital Thread approach highlights how it is going to aim to meld applications, data, and IoT.

In the long run, what's unclear is whether IoT deployments are simply faster if the data and backend systems--from the likes of SAP and Oracle--are natively tied to the sensors and Internet of things. In theory, an aggregation platform could pull in all the data from various systems to drive business value from IoT.

Bottom line: IoT is likely to have that all-too-familiar "the suite always wins" argument that enterprise software has had for years.

More on IoT deployments:

• Enterprise IoT in 2017: The state of play
• Infographic: Companies are using IoT to monitor environments and improve products
• Internet of Things: CIOs are getting ready for the next big revolution
• The Internet of Things: 10 types of enterprise deployments
• 16 questions CXOs should ask before starting an IoT project
• How to calculate TCO and ROI for enterprise IoT implementations
• How to secure your IoT deployment in 10 steps
• The five industries leading the IoT revolution

IoT security:

• Cybersecurity in an IoT and mobile world: The key trends
• Free PDF download: Cybersecurity in an IoT and mobile world
• Infographic: Almost half of companies say cybersecurity readiness has improved in the past year
• Cyberweapons are now in play: From US sabotage of a North Korean missile test to hacked emergency sirens in Dallas
• Five nightmarish attacks that show the risks of IoT security
• Ten best practices for securing the Internet of Things in your organization
• Five pitfalls to avoid in mobile and IoT security
• Mobile security is really about risk and identity management

And AR and VR in the enterprise:

• AR and VR: The future of work and play?
• Research: 67 percent considering adoption of augmented reality in the enterprise
• Executive's guide to the business value of VR and AR (free ebook)
• Ten industries using augmented reality and virtual reality
• Five tips for creating virtual reality product demos
• Five ways augmented reality will transform your business
• GoInStore uses AR to blur the line between the online and in-store experience
• Five ways your company can get business value out of virtual reality