Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share #123 - From Nokia to AI-IoT: Engineering the Physical World with Bernd Groß // CEO @ Cumulocity
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
#123 - From Nokia to AI-IoT: Engineering the Physical World with Bernd Groß // CEO @ Cumulocity
Bridging operational technology and cloud architecture for industrial-scale systems
The convergence of AI and IoT is reshaping how technical leaders approach industrial systems architecture. Bernd Groß, CEO and co-founder of Cumulocity, shares insights from building Germany's leading IoT platform—from its origins as a Nokia spin-off to becoming a critical infrastructure for companies managing tens of thousands of connected industrial assets.
This conversation explores the unique engineering challenges of industrial IoT, where systems must process 50 terabytes of monthly data from wind turbines while maintaining real-time control capabilities. Bernd discusses the evolution from monolithic architectures to microservices, the complexity of supporting hundreds of industrial protocols, and the emerging "AI-IoT" paradigm.
Key technical insights:
• 🏗️ Speed-layer architecture design for real-time data processing with cloud data lake offloading
• 📡 Managing protocol complexity through certified partner ecosystems (320+ PLC protocols)
• 🔄 Microservices transformation strategies for industrial platforms on Kubernetes
• 🤖 AI model deployment and operationalization across distributed industrial assets
• ⚡ Edge-cloud hybrid architectures for latency-critical and regulated environments
• 🛠️ Technical debt management during platform evolution and acquisition cycles
Thx 2 our partner SoSafe for sponsoring this Episode.
Or start a free safety simulation with SoSafe
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:01:04] Introduction to Bernd Groß and Cumulocity's Industrial IoT Platform
[00:03:45] Early Programming: From ZX Spectrum to PC Building
[00:07:07] The Nokia Rejection: Language Barriers in Early Career
[00:11:51] Nokia's Innovation Incubator and Cloud Computing (2010)
[00:17:24] Meeting Werner Vogels: Early AWS and Cloud Architecture
[00:20:07] Spinning Off Cumulocity from Nokia Networks
[00:21:21] IoT Device Management: Original Platform Vision
[00:23:56] Real-Time Architecture vs. Legacy VPN Systems
[00:26:33] From APIs to Applications: Learning Customer Needs
[00:31:19] Software AG Acquisition: Strategic Partnership
[00:34:03] Management Buyback from Silver Lake Partners
[00:37:53] AI's Impact on IoT: The Emergence of "AI-IoT"
[00:42:03] Speed-Layer Architecture and Data Lake Integration
[00:46:46] Edge vs. Cloud: Hybrid Deployment Strategies
[00:48:53] Technical Debt: Protocol Complexity and Modernization
[00:52:37] Partner Ecosystem: Managing 320+ Industrial Protocols
[00:56:59] Leadership Lessons: Trust and Authentic Communication
QUOTES:
• "When you compare that to the generation, the technology which was available before, there was really a VPN system where you needed to dial into the wind turbine… And today it's very, very different with real-time analytics happening in the background." - Bernd Groß [00:23:56]
• "Our platform does data acquisition, data normalization, contextualization of the data. So you need to help structure the data because that is the foundation for your training for your AI model training." - Bernd Groß [00:42:03]
View all episodes
By Tobias Schlottke - alphalist CTO Podcast
5
66 ratings
Bridging operational technology and cloud architecture for industrial-scale systems
The convergence of AI and IoT is reshaping how technical leaders approach industrial systems architecture. Bernd Groß, CEO and co-founder of Cumulocity, shares insights from building Germany's leading IoT platform—from its origins as a Nokia spin-off to becoming a critical infrastructure for companies managing tens of thousands of connected industrial assets.
This conversation explores the unique engineering challenges of industrial IoT, where systems must process 50 terabytes of monthly data from wind turbines while maintaining real-time control capabilities. Bernd discusses the evolution from monolithic architectures to microservices, the complexity of supporting hundreds of industrial protocols, and the emerging "AI-IoT" paradigm.
Key technical insights:
• 🏗️ Speed-layer architecture design for real-time data processing with cloud data lake offloading
• 📡 Managing protocol complexity through certified partner ecosystems (320+ PLC protocols)
• 🔄 Microservices transformation strategies for industrial platforms on Kubernetes
• 🤖 AI model deployment and operationalization across distributed industrial assets
• ⚡ Edge-cloud hybrid architectures for latency-critical and regulated environments
• 🛠️ Technical debt management during platform evolution and acquisition cycles
Thx 2 our partner SoSafe for sponsoring this Episode.
Or start a free safety simulation with SoSafe
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:01:04] Introduction to Bernd Groß and Cumulocity's Industrial IoT Platform
[00:03:45] Early Programming: From ZX Spectrum to PC Building
[00:07:07] The Nokia Rejection: Language Barriers in Early Career
[00:11:51] Nokia's Innovation Incubator and Cloud Computing (2010)
[00:17:24] Meeting Werner Vogels: Early AWS and Cloud Architecture
[00:20:07] Spinning Off Cumulocity from Nokia Networks
[00:21:21] IoT Device Management: Original Platform Vision
[00:23:56] Real-Time Architecture vs. Legacy VPN Systems
[00:26:33] From APIs to Applications: Learning Customer Needs
[00:31:19] Software AG Acquisition: Strategic Partnership
[00:34:03] Management Buyback from Silver Lake Partners
[00:37:53] AI's Impact on IoT: The Emergence of "AI-IoT"
[00:42:03] Speed-Layer Architecture and Data Lake Integration
[00:46:46] Edge vs. Cloud: Hybrid Deployment Strategies
[00:48:53] Technical Debt: Protocol Complexity and Modernization
[00:52:37] Partner Ecosystem: Managing 320+ Industrial Protocols
[00:56:59] Leadership Lessons: Trust and Authentic Communication
QUOTES:
• "When you compare that to the generation, the technology which was available before, there was really a VPN system where you needed to dial into the wind turbine… And today it's very, very different with real-time analytics happening in the background." - Bernd Groß [00:23:56]
• "Our platform does data acquisition, data normalization, contextualization of the data. So you need to help structure the data because that is the foundation for your training for your AI model training." - Bernd Groß [00:42:03]
More shows like alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders
View all
The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source
283 Listeners
Kassenzone | CEO Interviews
4 Listeners
a16z Podcast
1,030 Listeners
Thoughtworks Technology Podcast
41 Listeners
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
517 Listeners
OMR Podcast
40 Listeners
The OMR Podcast International – Go inside the minds of the biggest names in digital and tech
3 Listeners
REWORK
211 Listeners
Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT
31 Listeners
OMR Media
3 Listeners
Practical AI
190 Listeners
OMR Education
3 Listeners
Handelsblatt Disrupt - Der Podcast über die Zukunft der Wirtschaft
16 Listeners
OMR Silicon Valley Update
13 Listeners
Doppelgänger Tech Talk
12 Listeners
5050 by OMR
0 Listeners
bto – der Ökonomie-Podcast von Dr. Daniel Stelter
24 Listeners
OMRap
0 Listeners
Beckers Bets
1 Listeners
OMR Rabbit Hole: Die Höhle der Löwen
0 Listeners
The Pragmatic Engineer
52 Listeners