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Volkswagen Opens Industrial Cloud Platform to Amazon Web Services and Other Manufacturing Companies

July 30, 2020 by Stephanie Leonida

Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services extend the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud Network to include more companies for optimizing software development and business growth.

Both Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced their partnership in 2019, which was proposed for the combined effort of building the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud. To be developed in a multiyear project, the two companies hoped that this venture would bring together the data from all machines and systems from Volkswagen Group’s 122 factories into a single repository.

The cloud would enable optimization of workflows and increased productivity across Volkswagen plants and enable the integration of the Group’s global supply chain, spanning over 30,000 locations from more than 1,500 suppliers and partner companies.

Amazon’s expertise with the IoT, computer services, and machine learning are key foundation stones in the continuing development of the cloud. Since 2019, they have been grown and adapted to accommodate the requirements of the automotive industry. As the integration partner of this venture, Siemens will be invaluable in the maintenance of efficient factory networks within the cloud. 

 

Amazon and Volkswagen App Store Approach

This year, Volkswagen and Amazon open up their cloud system to include other manufacturing and technology companies. In one of the world’s largest automobile and production networks, partner companies will be able to scale and develop their industrial software applications. In this way, anyone of Volkswagen’s factories will be able to obtain desired software applications for its equipment and machines directly from the cloud in an App Store approach.

 

industrial cloud

The Volkswagen Industrial Cloud. Image courtesy of Volkswagen.

 

This will speed up and enhance production processes for the company and encourage knowledge exchange between partnering companies, furthering software development. To date, it is known that eleven pioneering international companies will be a part of Volkswagen’s industrial cloud network (ABB, ASCon Systems, BearingPoint, Celonis, Dürr, GROB-WERKE, MHP, NavVis, SYNAOS, Teradata and WAGO, will be joining the Industrial Cloud).

 

Software Applications

It is hoped that the collaboration between Volkswagen and its partners will push forward new business opportunities for smart products with the streamlining and improvement of operations across the automotive industry value chain. With the construction of the cloud being based upon AWS’ state-of-the-art open architecture, Volkswagen’s Industrial Cloud will be a busy hub of thriving commerce with the exchange of data between systems and plants ensuring exponential business growth.

Partners will be able to establish their software applications as market solutions and the Volkswagen Group will be able to oversee the diverse structure of its plants while avoiding costly in-house development of applications.

Software applications that are being made available through the cloud include an algorithm with artificial intelligence that is able to calculate requirements for driverless transport systems for plant logistics and provide optimal distribution of these systems. Software for optimal equipment effectiveness (OEE) and digital twin technology for overseeing capacity deployment and machine maintenance intervals will also be available on the cloud.