Apple and General Electric (GE) are teaming up to allow iOS apps to take advantage of the predictive data and analytics from Predix, GE’s industrial Internet of Things platform.
“GE is an ideal partner with a rich history of innovation across the industrial world in areas like aviation, manufacturing, healthcare and energy,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “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 Predix SDK (software development kit) is being released on October 26. One example of how this could be used by a business is to create an app which could notify a worker on their iPhone if there is a potential issue with equipment such as a wind turbine, and then allow them to collaborate with remote teams when performing inspections and repairs, while also collecting the relevant data.
“These industrial apps will close the information loop faster, ultimately increasing cost savings and minimizing unplanned downtime,” a press release notes. GE will also develop its own iOS apps, while internally standardizing to use Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The importance of Services
This isn’t the first time Apple has teamed with an industry giant to build apps. Back in 2014, Apple and one-time enemy IBM announced a partnership with the goal of building 100 enterprise apps, covering 14 different industries and 65 individual professions — ranging from wealth advisors to flight attendants, first responders, nurses and retail buyers.
Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Services have become a much bigger part of Apple’s business. Services have become such an important revenue stream for Apple that, back in August, Apple changed its official business description to cover it. Last year, Apple’s Services business was worth more than its individual iPad, Mac and Apple Watch businesses.
Interestingly, back in 1996 General Electric briefly considered buying out Apple for just $2 billion — with then CEO Michael Spindler convinced that it would have saved the then-ailing tech giant.
Source: Apple
