IIoT reference architecture receives update

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) announced the publication of version 1.8 of the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA), which incorporates rapidly emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies, concepts, and applications.

By Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) February 2, 2017

Home – Industry IoT Consortium

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) announced the publication of version 1.8 of the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA). This version builds on version 1.7, which was published in June 2015, by incorporating rapidly emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies, concepts, and applications. The IIRA is a standards-based architectural template and methodology designed by a broad spectrum of IIC members, including system and software architects, business experts, and security experts, to assist IIoT system architects to design IIoT solution architectures consistently and to deploy interoperable IIoT systems.

IIRA v1.8 Benefits

The IIoT core concepts and technologies addressed in the IIRA v1.8 are applicable to small, medium, and large enterprises in manufacturing, mining, transportation, energy, agriculture, healthcare, public infrastructure, and virtually every other industry. In addition to IIoT system architects, IIRA v1.8 emphasizes on the value proposition and enablement of how converging operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) enables business decision-makers, plant managers, and IT managers to better understand how to drive IIoT system development from a business perspective.

"It has been widely recognized that IIoT delivers value and transforms business. A main challenge for many enterprises now is how to get started," said Shi-Wan Lin, CEO & co-founder, Thingswise, LLC, and co-chair of the IIC architecture task group. "The IIRA provides a framework to drive IIoT projects from a business viewpoint. This is valuable for enterprises to build IIoT systems that can deliver the expected business value."

Technology vendors can use the IIRA concepts and methodologies to build interoperable system components. System implementers can use the IIRA as a starting point to shorten system development by deploying reusable, commercially available, or open-source system building blocks to reduce project risk, associated costs, and time-to-market. The IIRA is designed to help the IIoT community to realize an open, innovative IIoT ecosystem and reduce the cost of design and operations.

Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC)

Home – Industry IoT Consortium 

– Edited from an IIC press release by CFE Media. See more Control Engineering IIoT and Industrie 4.0 stories.