Just like
us, machines can fall ill in the wee small hours. If we get sick, we just call 911 and someone asks whether we need an
ambulance.
Machines
can also talk to and interact with each other, and even take certain required actions.
Here is an example of communication between two machines, translated into human
language. To maintain confidentiality, we will call them Mach1 and Doc.
Mach1: Picks up the cellphone and dials “Engie911.”
Doc: Hello! Doc here, how can I help you?
Mach1: I have a large drop in voltage and my
temperature is rising fast!
Doc: This time, it’s serious because the ID365 alarm
message I have just received indicates that you’re close to breaking down. I’m
going to call a human to solve this problem remotely, before our client is
disturbed.
Just so you
know, the problem was effectively resolved and Mach1 is doing well. Now, how do
we implement this service between our machines?
The answer is M2M (machine to machine), which encompasses all the new technologies available (Mobile, Cloud, etc.) so different machines, often at a distance, can interact safely, with no human intervention. We have just successfully tested this solution on several sites and are now in phase 1 of rollout on some ten sites. This will let us take the pulse of our facilities at all times, for very fast remote response and enhanced service to ENGIE clients.
Contributor:
Yan Le Meur
Automation and Technology Watch Expert
