GE's Software Center has the look and feel of a start-up on steroids. Based in the Bay Area, its glossy open-workspace building is stocked with food and buzzes with the energy of more than 1,000 software developers and engineers.  There, the company develops its IIoT offerings, including an operating software platform called Predix, which caters to machines in a range of industries, helping companies to save billions.  One application assesses oil and gas pipelines for environmental risks to prevent possible leaks, while another gathers flight data for GE jet engines in use, plotted out in colorful, easy-to-read dot graphs.  There are apps to help freight railroad operators anticipate when trains may be blown over by a strong gust of wind. Meanwhile, low-flying drones keep track of locomotives' inspections.  Within the center, researchers use consumer electronics as hardware platforms upon which they build software. Some of the newest projects center around augmented reality, equipping Google Glass, Oculus Rift, and Goldeneye headsets with software to make factory inspections easier and faster. Predix itself functions on laptops, tablets and mobile devices.  According to Ruh, this type of increased efficiency has major import for energy companies in general, and oil refineries in particular.  "In the energy space, it's quite clear," Ruh said. "If I can get to total efficiency, there's just so much upside in what they have, that small gains are big numbers."  The savings can be notable in power generation, as well. One percent more fuel efficiency on a gas turbine fleet can result in upwards of $6 billion in fuel savings per year, according to GE data. Software-connected sensors in turbines on a wind farm can generate between 5 to 10 percent more power, translating into a 20 percent boost in profitability.
The industrial Internet is using software to help streamline the lives of businesses. GE is one of the major firms looking to benefit.