Industry 4.0: The Industrial Internet of Things

Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has become one of the most talked about industrial business concepts in recent years. However, Industry 4.0 and the IIoT are often presented at a high level by consultants who are presenting from a business perspective to executive clients, which means the underlying technical complexity is irrelevant. Consultants focus on business models and operational efficiency, which is very attractive, where financial gains and new business models are readily understandable to their clients. Unfortunately, these presentations often impress and invigorate executives, who see the business benefits but fail to reveal to the client the technical abstraction of the lower-layer complexity that underpin the Industrial Internet.