Siemens and Alibaba Cloud have announced a new partnership related to the development of the industrial internet of things in China.
The two companies will leverage each other's technology and industry resources to build a unique IoT solution to support Industrie 4.0, China's manufacturing upgrade and transformation and other industrial internet initiatives.
Specifically, Siemens will implement its MindSphere solution on the Alibaba cloud, with availability starting next year.
MindSphere is Siemens' cloud-based, open IoT operating system, which is designed to connect products, plants, systems, and machines.
According to Siemens, MindSphere delivers a wide range of device and enterprise connectivity options, robust applications, advanced analytics, and closed-loop innovation with complete digital twin solutions.
The company also says the solution enables users to harness the wealth of data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT) with advanced analytics capabilities.
Siemens CEO and president Joe Kaeser says, "We continue to build our global industrial digital network by partnering with Alibaba Cloud. This cooperation is a landmark deal for bringing Industrie 4.0-solutions to China as the world's powerhouse of manufacturing.
“Our customers will be able to unlock the potential of the Industrial Internet of Things with MindSphere now also on the leading Chinese cloud platform. Today, we further strengthen our global leadership in automating and digitalizing the Industrial world."
Alibaba Cloud president Simon Hu adds, "Today's landmark partnership marks an exciting step towards Alibaba Cloud's goal to enable digital transformation across the globe.
"We are delighted to partner with Siemens and together we hope to accelerate the adoption of IoT products and services that will create industry-wide breakthroughs and progress.
With the implementation of MindSphere on Alibaba Cloud, Siemens will look to provide compelling services for companies in mainland China to bolster their advanced industrial solutions portfolios.
Kaeser and Hu officially declared the partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Berlin, under the witness of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his official visit to Germany.