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Jeff Winter from Microsoft joins Don Pearson for an interesting discussion on the forces that drive Digital Transformation. They will dive in and discuss the forces of consumer demand and government investment into manufacturing. Jeff and Don will also talk about the power of innovation, the ongoing impact of artificial intelligence, and how to harness the never ending stream of data. You may access the video version of the podcast here.

Doug Dudley from Inductive Automation chats with Joanna Cortez about the biggest event for Inductive Automation, the Ignition Community Conference. This year’s ICC is in-person as well as virtual. In this podcast, Joanna and Doug will discuss the origins of ICC and the planning and implementation of the conference. They will also talk about the evolution of the Build-a-Thon and how Discover Gallery has grown. Last but not least, Joanna and Doug will discuss the key element of the conference: the community. Register for ICC 

IA’s very own Don Pearson sits down with Arnell J. Ignacio to explore the people-driven aspect of Digital Transformation. They discuss how Digital Transformation is more than just implementing technology and why motivated professionals are so important to its success. Don and Arnell also talk about the Digital Transformation effect on company culture, the processes people adopt, challenges people face, the business implications, and the business value.

Daniel Voit and Keith Weerts of Blentech join Paul Scott to discuss the importance of context when it comes to data. They dive into how Daniel and Keith started on this path to unlocking the power of food production data, how Ignition played a crucial role in their development, and how companies can fully utilize their equipment in a short amount of time. For a video version of this podcast which includes screen demonstrations, watch here. 

Remus Pop from Riveron chats with Don Pearson about the meaning of Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0, and IIoT and the business value of the technologies developed for these initiatives. They further discuss the challenges and obstacles of implementation, how companies are handling global disruptions, and the outlook of our industry and the agents of change leading the charge.

Thomas Wilson and Ben Lester from Factory Technologies sit down with us to discuss  their experience with Inductive Automation and Ignition. They cover aspects of how Factory Technologies went from starting with legacy products all the way to using the latest software. They elaborate on the importance of Inductive University and training to staying on the cutting edge, and how being able to say yes to projects is refreshing for them and their customers. Lastly, they discuss how everything that Inductive Automation offers allowed Factory Technologies to build a better business.

Ray Sensenbach, Steve Kulaga and Paul Scott from Inductive Automation sit down with us to talk shop regarding the deeper meaning of design and why it is important to our team. They also talk about the breakthrough impact and the bright future of the Perspective Module, and how we are empowering our users to elevate their industrial visualization projects.

Todd Ebright and Nate Kay from Martin CSI join us to talk about their journey with Discover Ignition that led them to winning a Firebrand Award, and they share a new project that incorporates Ignition Edge technology and Opto 22 to meet the diverse needs of customers. They discuss their approach to digital transformation projects, the input customers are looking for, and the hurdles they faced along the way. They also dive into some major trends they’re seeing in machine vision applications, security, Perspective, accessibility, data storage, private cellular networks, utilization of new technologies, and greenfield projects.

On this episode, we have the pleasure of bringing David Greenfield, Director of Content/Editor-in-Chief of Automation World/PMMI Media Group, together with Don Pearson to discuss the future of automation in manufacturing. David shares his insight on the evolution of MRP into what we know as ERP today. Don and David also discuss the rise of IIoT and the progression of cloud services, how Ethernet got a foothold on the manufacturing floor, and the great potential that mobile devices and mobile-responsive screens have to offer. David also shares his insights about a subject that is near and dear to him: robotics.

In this episode, members of Inductive Automation’s “house band,” The IA Department of Funk, share behind-the-scenes stories and shenanigans from the writing, recording, and filming of their original song and music video, “Champion,” for the ICC 2021 Build-a-Thon. We also dive into how their music has evolved over the years, why it’s important for ICC and Inductive Automation, and where it may head in the future. Download Champion: https://soundcloud.com/inductiveautomation/champion

Gary Mintchell from The Manufacturing Connection joins Don Pearson to give us his insights on the trends he’s seeing with as-a-service software solutions and the specific value they bring from both the IT and OT perspective. Gary shares the importance of the cloud in relation to edge computing in the industrial space and designing your architecture to get the best of both worlds. They discuss how to utilize OT and IT together to solve common problems, debate whether MQTT and OPC UA are in competition or complementary, explore the areas which companies should focus on in their journey to digital transformation, and make predictions about AI and machine learning. Gary also takes a memory about meeting our founder Steve Hechtman when Steve was still an integrator.

Inductive Automation’s very own Annie Wise joins us to discuss the benefits, successes, and importance of our International Distributor Program. We hear about how the program got off the ground, the story of our first distributor, what territories currently have partners, and how the program has grown over the years. Annie shares what qualities we look for when partnering with new distributors and tells us about the new international track at the 2021 Ignition Community Conference.

David Hostetter from SCS Engineers and Dennis Siegel from Waste Management join us today to talk about the unique processes and challenges within the waste management industry, from residential to the engineering and life cycles of landfills. We discuss how operational improvements are being made in this essential service and its environmental footprint. They dive into the 24/7 maintenance and monitoring of landfills, adjusting to changing conditions in real-time, reducing cost, generating renewable energy, improving the health and safety of operators, and being proactive in a changing world. We also hear about an Ignition-based solution called Connected Landfills that is improving connectivity, mobility, and visualization by using data science to facilitate better decisions.

Vikram Kumar, President and CEO of AVG Automation, offers some incredible insight into the world of Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 technology. In this wide-ranging interview, Vikram surveys  the evolution of manufacturing from the invention of the PLC to the present and beyond, looking ahead at which industries and applications will be critical over the next 5-10 years. Our discussion covers the perception of Industry 4.0, overcoming resistance to change, and the considerations organizations need to make when implementing new technologies, as well as the benefits of AI and machine learning to manufacturers. We also explore how the pandemic has accelerated the evolution of Industry 4.0 initiatives and showed how a lack of Digital Transformation can disrupt the supply chain. Plus, Vikram defines what Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation mean in the context of adopting a better approach to business.

We are excited to welcome Rob Valent from ATS Global — one of our top-performing integrators. We discuss the reach ATS has providing automation products and services to a variety of industries and being an independent solution provider for accounts worldwide. Rob shares the success of their global Ignition rollout, having the most Ignition certified engineers worldwide, and a unique pharma project in Denmark that ties into the pandemic. We also discuss having a dialogue with the customer to truly understand their needs and deliver the best value possible.

Networking and security experts from TOSIBOX share their insights about industrial and operational networking in many different verticals, including building and traffic automation. They share some of the most common pain points in cybersecurity and building global networks, discuss successful IT/OT convergence, and automating networking to make secure remote access much easier. We learn about securing OT networks, take a more technical dive into technology standards for automating infrastructure, and hear a story of a joint project with an oil and gas customer.

Eclipse Foundation Executive Director Mike Milinkovich joins us for a discussion all about open source development. We discuss mastering the art of open source to complete digital transformation, the requirements to foster successful software collaboration, providing the infrastructure to enable development in the community, as well as some common misconceptions surrounding open source. Mike also shares his predictions for 2021, and discusses the trends that are having the biggest impact on developers including IoT solutions, edge computing, privacy, and AI. Plus, learn more about the Sparkplug working group, open hardware, and how the community can get involved.

Today we are learning all about Inductive Automation’s University Engagement Program with David Grussenmeyer, who is our University Engagement Manager. We will discuss the ins and outs of this educational outreach program including the vision, early stages, current initiatives, curriculums, what we provide to institutions, and how this program benefits the next generation of engineers. We also dive into building partnerships through the program, share a real-world success story, look into the future for universities, and share how integrators can get involved.

We’re joined by John Miller and Daniel Coffelt from The Integration Group of Americas to discuss their real-world projects in water/wastewater and oil & gas. We’ll hear about the challenges they overcame to successfully migrate an outdated SCADA system to an updated IIoT platform. We’ll cover utilizing Ignition in the enterprise and Perspective as the user interface, taking an edge-first approach, and partnering up with OnLogic. We’ll learn how these solutions are improving visibility, flexibility, control, and cost savings for companies that provide vital services. Learn more about Ignition and Inductive Automation at inductiveautomation.com

Today's episode is all about saving time, money, and energy with Ignition, and the challenges industrial professionals can overcome with the unlimited licensing model. We discuss how our guest got introduced to the software, how to utilize Inductive University, and the best ways to transfer problem-solving knowledge to improve the lives of operators. Learn more about Ignition and Inductive Automation at inductiveautomation.com