Microsoft has partnered with UK car maker Rolls-Royce to provide advanced operational intelligence to airlines.
Under the collaboration, Microsoft Azure IoT Suite and Cortana Intelligence Suite will be integrated into Rolls-Royce’s service solutions to extend its digital capabilities for supporting existing and next generation intelligent engines.
Rolls-Royce, whose engines power over 50,000 flights every month, intends to enhance aircraft efficiency, drive up aircraft availability and lower engine maintenance costs.
The company will use Azure IoT Suite to manage airline operational challenges by gathering and aggregating data from disparate, geographically distributed sources. Cortana Intelligence Suite will be used to identify data insights.
Rolls-Royce will gather data sets like engine health data, air traffic control information, route restrictions and fuel usage data to identify operational anomalies and trends and offer intelligent performance feedback on the findings.
Azure Stream Analytics and Microsoft Power BI dashboards will be used in finding data insights that will allow airlines to enhance their operational performance and boost fuel efficiency.
Microsoft Azure corporate vice president Jason Zander said: "Rolls-Royce has always been a pioneer in engine services, and this collaboration will create a new digital engine for Rolls-Royce to deliver an even better service to its customers across its world-class engine fleet through Microsoft Azure."
Rolls-Royce senior vice president of services at civil aerospace Tom Palmer said: "Our customers are looking for ways to leverage the digital landscape to increase efficiency and improve their operations.
"By working with Microsoft we can really transform our digital services, supporting customers right across engine-related aircraft operations to make a real difference to performance."
In an other development, Otis Elevator and its parent firm, United Technologies, are exploring opportunities with Microsoft for a strategic alliance to speed up the development of digital solutions for smart building equipment like elevators.
The alliance has potential to use Microsoft technology for expanding the benefits of connectivity and remote monitoring.
Elevator manufacturer Otis has already expanded its partnership with Microsoft to develop connectivity and analytics solutions that will transform equipment service networks.
Otis is using new digital tools to better serve and connect with customers. The company will expand use of the Microsoft cloud (Microsoft Azure IoT Suite), Customer Relationship Management system (Microsoft Dynamics CRM) and stream analytics (Cortana Intelligence Suite), with the help of big data to drive condition based monitoring and maintenance.
The deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM will provide a cloud-based solution to improve the customer experience and speed up business productivity.
