GE has unveiled a new suite of software as it moves to establish a leading position within digital services for the water industry.
It introduced three proofs of concept, underpinned by Predix, its digital platform for industry, and indicated that more will be released during 2016.
The three new applications address pipeline health, storm and sewer management, and water plant efficiency. There’s a software-as-a-service concept that digitally maps pipeline health and offers proactive risk identification, in partnership with American Water; a product to reduce overflow incidents for stormwater and sewage systems, in partnership with MWH Global (now part of Stantec); and a “digital twin” concept, which creates a digital replica of a plant in order to increase efficiency and reduce cost.
GE also confirmed details of three partnerships that it hopes will help to advance a “vision of solving global water and wastewater challenges through data and analytics”. Firstly, it joined the North American Alliance of the Smart Water Networks Forum; it outlined an ambition to contribute to long-term solutions and sustainability of water in cities through the Smart Cities Council; and finally, it is kicking off a “beta partner” programme with water innovations accelerator Imagine H2O, with a view to scaling technologies globally.