Rockwell and Microsoft partnership to simplify digital agility

Rockwell Automation and Microsoft have announced a five-year partnership expansion to develop integrated, market-ready solutions designed to help Rockwell industrial customers improve digital agility through cloud technology. By combining each company’s expertise in the industrial and IT markets, respectively, the companies say teams can work together more seamlessly, enabling industrial organisations to save on infrastructure costs, speed time to value and increase productivity.

Microsoft and Rockwell are working to deliver edge-to-cloud-based solutions that connect information between development, operations and maintenance teams through a singular, trusted data environment. This will allow development teams to digitally prototype, configure and collaborate without investing in costly physical equipment. This unified information environment also enables IT and OT teams to not only securely access and share data models across the organisation, but with their ecosystem of partners as well.

“Today, one thing we know for sure is that no business is 100% resilient,” said Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft. “Those fortified with digital capabilities and assets are more resilient than others, and the cloud is how they will thrive. We are pleased to deepen our already strong, decade-long relationship with Rockwell Automation to help businesses simplify industrial transformation, accelerate business outcomes and innovate with agility.”

To date, the companies have co-developed over 20 use cases across food and beverage, household, personal care and life sciences industries.

“This partnership provides Rockwell Automation and Microsoft customers with a holistic, simple solution for IIoT development and operations and removes data silos that hinder industrial digital transformation initiatives,” said Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation. “By eliminating a core barrier to automation initiatives, industrial organisations establish a digital thread connecting the entire enterprise, which in turn accelerates innovation, maximises productivity and optimises operations.”

“Our team has seen the preview release of this new solution and we are excited about collaboration between our strategic partners, Rockwell Automation and Microsoft,” said Tristan Hunter, GM Automation & Operational Technology at Fonterra Co-operative Group, New Zealand’s largest company and responsible for 30% of the world’s dairy exports. “Moving data from our on-premise assets securely with context, and providing new workflows for us to analyse and drive better outcomes, is important to maintaining Fonterra’s high standards across our many plants globally.”

Organisations can access Rockwell Automation solutions now via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, with more solutions currently in development. The next phase of co-innovation solutions will be available to joint customers of Rockwell Automation and Microsoft customers in Q1 2021 at Automation Fair At Home.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/bas121