Helping to solidify PTC’s stature as a major player in the Internet of Things, Vodafone Group has chosen PTC’s ThingWorx to help in the development of new Vodafone IoT applications.
Vodafone will use ThingWorx to build applications corresponding to connected IoT solutions that Vodafone will be developing. ThingWorx can be extended across all types of solutions for a variety of markets, including manufacturing, automotive, telecom and more, according to PTC.
“PTC’s IoT strategy is predicated on providing the most efficient and complete platform that companies like Vodafone require to develop new and innovative applications or offerings that will support and strengthen their businesses,” said John Stuart, divisional vice president, global IoT sales and partners at PTC, in a press release. “This collaboration further validates PTC’s approach to the IoT space.”
PTC, a software company with some 6,000 employees, acquired ThingWorx about two and a half years ago. It has since added more companies to its IoT repertoire, completing the acquisition of the Vuforia augmented reality platform business from Qualcomm Connected Experiences about a year ago. In January of this year, it closed its acquisition of Kepware, a software development company providing solutions for industrial automation environments.
Rather than pointing to any specific competitors, Stuart told FierceWirelessTech that the alternative that potential customers usually choose is a do-it-yourself type of approach. However, Thingworx shoots for a 10x productivity improvement over that.
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He could not comment on any current activities with U.S. operators, but considering what it’s doing with Vodafone in IoT, “this is a pretty strategic program for PTC,” he said. So it’s safe to assume the company is or hopes to work with U.S. operators in some capacity, though the company hasn’t announced anything.
PTC likely will have its hands full working with Vodafone, which is one of the world’s largest telecom companies, with mobile operations in 26 countries.
“It’s the tip of the iceberg with Vodafone,” Stuart said, with the potential to grow given its many operating companies and corporate entities.
PTC says ThingWorx offers a common set of components that can be quickly deployed across Vodafone’s footprint of operating companies, further enhancing the company’s ability to offer enterprise customers digital transformation services in a globally consistent way. Among PTC’s offerings are machine learning, analytics and connectivity at the industrial level, as well as augmented reality and 3D.
“Vodafone has a rich portfolio of IoT services and we share APIs with our customers and their development teams for co-creation,” said Vodafone IoT director Ivo Rook in the press release. “We believe that by combining these services with ThingWorx and our wider partner ecosystem we can rapidly develop new Vodafone IoT capabilities to maintain our leadership position and make it easier for our customers to benefit from the wider opportunities of IoT.”