During the recent “Bosch ConnectedWorld 2015”, international conference that took place in Berlin, Bosch and other innovative companies (including Cisco, Volkswagen, Trumpf, GE, and Daimler) presented a range of new solutions in areas such as connected industry and connected mobility. Roughly 800 experts discussed business models and technical solutions and exchanged experience. Volkmar Denner, Bosch’s CEO, explained the position of Bosch about Internet of things and the key factors for the diffusion of connected solutions. “At present – Denner said – developments are very much driven by technology. But in an area like this, technological know-how and excellent work alone are not enough. We have found that the right systemic understanding is decisive for the Internet of things. When developing connected solutions, therefore, Bosch takes three levels into consideration: the first is connected things, which use sensors to collect data and in this way help create a virtual image of the real world. The second is secure software platforms that connect these things with the internet and with each other, that analyze data, and that make new services possible. The third is the applications and services that are developed on the software platforms and create value-added for customers”. In Denner’s view, customer focus and customer benefit are critical for successful solutions on the Internet of things. “Any connected solution has to focus constantly on users and their problems, and less on products or technologies”, he commented. Besides, in Denner’s opinion it’s important that traditional industrial companies collaborate more closely with internet start-ups. For their part, internet start-ups need more financial support as they scale their business ideas up to the relevant market size.
Bosch’s CEO sees a crucial disadvantage for European companies in the extremely fragmented European market, which is the result of differences in data and consumer protection regulations. “We need a single digital market in Europe. This will allow us to launch connected solutions just as successfully in our home market as U.S. or Chinese companies can in theirs”, he said.
Finally, for many years Bosch has been preparing systematically for the connected world, not least by expanding its own software competence. Bosch Software Innovations GmbH is the Bosch Group’s software and systems unit. In the form of its Bosch IoT Suite, it provides all Bosch divisions, as well as external customers, with a versatile software platform for the Internet of things. Moreover, Bosch is a supplier of MEMS sensors (microelectromechanical systems), which are a key technology for the Internet of things.
