Apple, GE partner to bring Predix apps to iOS

General Electric is partnering with Apple to develop mobile apps for industrial operators that will bring analytics from GE's Predix platform to Apple's iPads and iPhones.

Predix, which launched in 2015, is GE's Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform. It was built for managing, analyzing and storing machine sensor data and is aimed primarily at globally regulated industries, including aviation, healthcare, transportation, and oil and gas utility providers.

With this Apple partnership, the two companies will release a toolkit on October 26 that lets developers build iOS native apps on top of the Predix platform. GE has also built a new Applications Performance Management case management app on Predix that lets users monitor industrial equipment on an iOS device.

"Our customers increasingly need to arm their workforces through mobility," said GE cheif executive John Flannery. "Working together, GE and Apple are giving industrial companies access to powerful apps that help them tap into the predictive data and analytics of Predix right on their iPhone or iPad."

For Apple, the Cupertino tech giant has partnered with a number of software companies in an effort to push iOS apps for the enterprise -- including IBM, Cisco, Deloitte, and SAP -- but the GE partnership goes a bit deeper.

For instance, Apple's sales team will pitch Predix to its customers and developers in the industrial space. Meanwhile, GE has committed to standardizing on the iPhone and iPad for its 330,000 employees, and will rely on the Mac as its desktop computer of choice.

"GE is an ideal partner with a rich history of innovation across the industrial world in areas like aviation, manufacturing, healthcare and energy," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Together, Apple and GE are fundamentally changing how the industrial world works by combining GE's Predix platform with the power and simplicity of iPhone and iPad."

PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE

GE to roll out its Predix Asset Performance Management software at its monitoring, diagnostic center

By rolling out APM to its monitoring and diagnostic center, it will be able to tap into utility sensor data around the world for more predictive abilities.

IBM, Apple forge enterprise app pact: Watson, meet iPad

Apple gets a big leg up in the enterprise courtesy of IBM's vast army. IBM gets to show off its analytics and industry specific apps running exclusively on iOS.

GE updates Predix to optimize utilities, enable smarter energy trading

A new layer in GE's Predix platform will focus on utility optimization and connecting data from the Internet of Things and operations to traders.

Apple covers more enterprise bases, teams up with Accenture

Apple already has partnerships with SAP, IBM, and Cisco and now lands Accenture. The goal: Make iOS the enterprise go-to for mobility.