The Leading Edge: Technologies to Watch in 2010

The problem is time or, more specifically, how reliable cloud computing software can be to process data as it happens. In industrial automation, where every piece of data needs to be read and processed in real time, a millisecond's delay might miss, say, a sensor sending signals of a surge in power.

“In the factory or plant, you may use software as a service (SaaS), and it can help you come up with the best schedule for running your facility tomorrow,” says Rockwell Automation's Chand. “But, I don't see how you'd use cloud computing for real-time operations in the factory. I don't have a guarantee on the availability and performance of that software application.”

The Right Questions

Wires seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate these days. Phones have shed their wires and turned into multi-function devices, as tools for communications have grown more sophisticated. Computers have turned into laptops that hook online via WiFi. Security systems for homes and facilities have unplugged. Now, there is the promise of wireless energy transfer before our eyes.

All of these developments signify the rising demand for wireless technology in manufacturing and distribution settings. But wireless capabilities, like many other emerging technologies, are new tools, nothing more.

“We've got so many technologies that are available and are evolving and improving,” says Mike Yost, global markets development leader for GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms' operations management software business. “Any technology is only as important as the problem it's solving, and I don't want to enhance anything until I've determined what the problem is.”

Technology has a knack for sometimes confusing its own users. Half of all electronic devices are returned to retail stores after one week because users can't figure them out. The same holds true with more complex technologies, says Kevin Craig, professor of mechanical engineering at Marquette University.

“Technology has to be desirable, but from a business aspect, it has to be sustainable and maintainable,” says Craig. “Most of all, it has to be usable.”

Peter Alpern is associate editor of MHM's sister publication, IndustryWeek.