JULY 2018 45
senses and reports, or processes data
to be an eligible IoT appliance. We
do not require the network to be ‘the
Internet’,” Joel Otto, vice president
of strategy and business development
in Rockwell Collins’ Information
Management Services division, tells
Australian Aviation.
“Rather, we define it such that the
device must have the ability to transfer
data – directly or through a gateway –
using the Internet Protocol, or IP.”
Crucially, an internet of things
does not have to be on the Internet of
Things, the capitalised, proper-nouned
latter of which operates on the same
set of global interconnected protocols
as Google, Facebook, Twitter, email,
Amazon, iView, and so on. Providers
can create their own interconnected
networks and, with the additional
security advantages closed networks
can bring in the aviation context, this
option can look attractive.
A little more formally and in
corporate language, Pratt & Whitney’s
director of digital technology Sean
Pearson defines the IoT as “an
interconnected system of devices,
software and analytics that captures
data about the real world and enables
intelligent, proactive actions to be
taken that drive better business
outcomes and operational efficiencies.“The Internet of Things is a
strategic consideration for Pratt &
Whitney, as it can improve customer
experiences, operational efficiency and
overall profitability of businesses by
enabling greater visibility into real-
world events and statuses.”
Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, “regards
the Internet of Things as a vehicle
that transforms connectivity and
provides opportunities to deliver
passengers more reliably and more
efficiently than ever before. It is an
enabler of a wider Rolls-Royce vision,
that of the IntelligentEngine, which
sees a future where the worlds of
product and service have become soThings to come
‘The Internet
of Things is a
vehicle that
transforms
connectivity.’