Rockwell Automation partners with Microsoft for cloud solutions

Rockwell Automation will be showcasing a range of new cloud offerings in the Microsoft demonstration space at Hannover Messe 2022. These offerings enable new value creation across the industrial systems lifecycle continuum from design, operations, and maintenance.

There will be three significant offerings on display in the form of the FactoryTalk Design Hub, Plex manufacturing execution system (MES) and a preview of FactoryTalk Edge. All three solutions focus on industry relevant solutions that provide best-in-class user experience, assist with improving industrial productivity, and leverage the power and scale provided by Azure to enable faster time-to-value.

One of the offerings is the FactoryTalk Design Hub, which is a next generation control systems design environment that utilises the power of Azure to enable new forms of collaboration when designing, simulating, testing, and remotely accessing control systems.

Historically, capital investments in plant and equipment, come with a complex ecosystem of partners across the entire range of disciplines, but the design tasks often have serial interdependencies.

“FactoryTalk Design Hub enables information centralisation and stakeholder accessibility to systems standards, programs, as-built configurations, along with control system and Digital Twins that enable outcomes such as virtual commissioning to reduce startup risk,” said Leo Kilfoy, director for SaaS and digital design at Rockwell Automation.

After physical commissioning, FactoryTalk Design Hub’s capabilities provide additional value for operations and maintenance stakeholders by supporting change management and enabling secure remote access for partners such as Machine Builders.

“We are proud of our partnership with Rockwell Automation and pleased to welcome them to our booth at Hannover Messe. Their exciting showcases will demonstrate how together, our companies are advancing the connected enterprise with Rockwell’s deep OT and industrial expertise and Microsoft’s rich and secure cloud offerings,” says Çalayan Arkan, vice president for global strategy and sales lead for manufacturing and supply chain at Microsoft.

Brian Shepherd, senior vice president for software and control at Rockwell Automation, adds: “This milestone illustrates the ongoing commitment by Rockwell Automation and Microsoft to bring industry relevant solutions to empower our customers to deliver trusted and integrated manufacturing capabilities and solutions.”