HPE’s stand at Hannover reflected the company’s focus on manufacturing.

My first experience with HPE through Edge computing. IoT has a prominent executive champion. Several executives are devoted to manufacturing solutions. Remote Visual Guidance augmented reality. Blockchain possibilities. Starter kit for HPE Edgeline for manufacturing. Partnerships in the DNA. Vision system for assembly checking.

After my Podcast 149 about big companies not liking OPC UA a couple of years ago (and got more than 1k views on YouTube) and a report and white paper on OPC UA and TSN from 2017 Hannover, the landscape has changed. Big companies are now adopting OPC UA and the OPC UA/TSN talk has gone mainstream.

Despite the many dystopian views of technology, automation, and robots in the future, it is human decision making and leadership that determines what will happen. Gaurav Bhalla's "Awakening a Leader's Soul" teaches a different perspective on leadership.

Discussing trips to San Diego and the Industry of Things World event (Internet of Things, Mindsphere from Siemens, OPC UA) and Siemens Manufacturing in America (university students, simulation, PLM, digitalization, cyber-physical systems, blockchain).

The recent ARC Industry Forum attracted a record attendance affording writers and analysts like me more opportunities for meetings than there was time. Themes included collaboration, new edge devices, open automation, and many cool digital products.

Will 2018 be the year that we see more IT / OT convergence? Look for it to be the year of edge devices, digital transformation, and the digital twin. Here at the podcast where IT meets OT.

A report from Rockwell Automation events in Houston November 13-16. Training veterans, open software, scalable software. Oh, and the elephant NOT in the room--Emerson's unsolicited takeover attempt.

Everybody's talking--about digital transformation, plus Dell's $1 Billion bet on IoT, GE's predix-ament, Rockwell ripe for the picking

A trip to Emerson Global Users Exchange yielded thoughts on capabilities to hone, justifying IoT projects, and investing in training.

Thoughts and analysis from Inductive Automation Community Conference in September in Folsom, CA. The company develops SCADA software, has an active partner ecosystem, and some bright customers. I got to talk with them all.