‘Connectivity’ reaches 250th issue milestone
19 April 2023
This week marks a significant milestone in the journey of Connectivity, as we reach the 250th issue of our weekly newsletter.
Since our launch in 2017, we’ve tracked and reported on the main issues and topics influencing the growth of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, as it’s now more commonly termed.
Of course, technology moves on apace, across all aspects of the Industry 4.0 spectrum, from robotics and telecoms, to cybersecurity and AI, and we continue to stay abreast of the latest developments that play a part in facilitating companies’ own journeys towards their people-free operations.
We (that's Publisher Andrew Quenault, and Editor Gordon Wong) had a little tête-à-tête about some of the issues facing those in our Connectivity community, and our musings can be found here.
In telecommunications, for example, discussion of 4G is gradually and steadily being supplanted by 5G, although with the corollary that even 5G requires its own workarounds (beamforming, anyone?). By around 2030, apparently, 6G will be the new kid on the block, so we shall see what advantages and advances that may bring to the Industry 4.0 picture.
Then, with a raft of technologies that seemingly come from Acronym City, we will watch with interest as facilitators such as AI, AR, VR, ML all continue to make their, generally complementary, mark on IIoT, along with cloud computing, Big Data, etc.
Security might be one of the concerns for companies yet to dip their toe into the Industry 4.0 water, and that’s understandable. For some, putting their factories into the hands of something that they can’t physically ‘see’ (and touch) can be a touch scary to contemplate, while the reality is that sensors, robots, vision systems, etc. arguably give a better, more detailed picture than previously possible of just what’s happening on a hands-free factory floor. I guess there’s an element of education involved there?
Cost is another concern. Energy prices are tough to manage right now, yet advanced IIoT technologies could save on energy, with machinery being monitored and managed by smart tools.
Fortunately, there is a vast amount of expertise, knowledge and experience that companies can tap into, including from these shores. So, the hands-free, people-free factory future looks bright.
Unfortunately, we don’t benefit from having a crystal ball, so who quite knows what Connectivity will be reporting on in another 250 issues from now? It’ll certainly be fascinating to track progress though.
If you have any particular topics or angles that you feel may be useful to cover in a future edition of Connectivity, please contact us at: gordon.wong@imlgroup.co.uk.
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