CASE STUDY

ABB Ability™: Empowering Insight

Mesh Systems helped ABB achieve their goal to build an Industrial IoT platform that seamlessly integrates with their vast array of new and legacy products.

Setting the Stage

In the vast landscape of industrial automation, robotics, and manufacturing, ABB stands as a global titan with a rich 130-year legacy. Historically known for producing tangible products like motors, drives, and electric vehicle charging stations, ABB embarked on a transformative journey to embrace the digital age. With over 70 million connectable legacy assets deployed globally, the challenge was monumental. Enter Mesh Systems, introduced to ABB by Sam George, the CVP of Azure IoT at Microsoft, setting the stage for a groundbreaking collaboration.

NEED

A Unified Platform Across All Business Units

ABB’s vision was clear: to build an Industrial IoT platform that would seamlessly integrate with their vast array of new and legacy products. This platform, envisioned to be built atop Microsoft Azure, aimed to unlock innovative business avenues by pairing ABB’s renowned hardware prowess with cutting-edge cloud software.

The primary goal wasn’t merely to adapt to the digital transformation wave, but to spearhead it, presenting customers with innovative business models and solutions.

SOLUTION

Digital Blueprint: The Birth of ABB Ability™

As one of the top Azure partners globally, Mesh stepped in to transform ABB’s vision into reality. Providing a dedicated team of IoT architects and developers, Mesh collaborated closely with over 200 ABB colleagues from the US, Poland, and India. The synergy resulted in the birth of ABB Ability™, a testament to agile development and collaborative engineering.
 
Beyond the platform, Mesh Systems actively engaged with various ABB business units, crafting valuable IoT applications and connected products integrated with ABB Ability™. One such innovation was the Ability™ Simple Monitoring Service (SMS), a user-friendly visualization tool offering real-time events, notifications, and device management. 

"Mesh Systems is a cornerstone ABB Ability™ Partner, having spent nearly three years helping to refine the architecture and building crucial components of the platform. We believe that no one is better positioned to help our business units unlock IoT value with ABB Ability™."

Guido Jouret

Guido Jouret

Chief Digital Officer, ABB

OUTCOMES

Results​

The collaboration between ABB and Mesh Systems bore fruit in multiple dimensions, delivering tangible and transformative results: 

Efficiency in Product Launch

The time and effort required for an ABB product group to introduce their connected product were significantly reduced. This streamlined approach catered to a diverse range of use cases, from robotics to circuit breakers.

Laying Groundwork for AI

The collaboration set the stage for harnessing the power of Machine Learning. By producing data that was contextualized, readily accessible, and clean, the foundation was laid for future AI integrations.

Systems Standardization

The enforcement of a standardized data model and APIs transformed the way products were viewed and integrated. Instead of treating products like motors, pumps, and drives as isolated entities, the new approach allowed for the creation of system-level solutions, combining previously disparate products into higher value solutions.

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