Train operators the world over are expected to work miracles, i.e. never to be late. So, with acute service and availability targets to meet, an efficient maintenance program is important. And data-enabled functionality is a must for Siemens. Reactive maintenance (after an incident) and routine, preventive maintenance with its visual inspections and scheduled exchange of components, are no longer enough. We’ve moved on to more cost-effective, condition-based, predictive maintenance. The actual condition of components is measured via the transfer and remote monitoring of diagnostic sensor data; data which is also used to analyse patterns and trends. This helps predict when a component is likely to fail, so it can be repaired before anything untoward happens. To ensure the commercial sustainability of this approach, Siemens needs to use and re-use existing data, creating a kind of ‘Internet of Trains’. Towards this end, they’re analysing sensor data in near real time, which means they can react very quickly, ensuring that customer transport services aren’t interrupted. “It is really difficult to define every issue before it impacts operations using only data from the trains”, Kress explains. However, recent success stories prove that everything is possible.

Oracle is a leader in enterprise software and provides hardware and services to help companies improve their processes. Best known for its focus on databases, it offers aid in areas such as managing business data, collaboration and application development, customer relationship management, and supply chain management.Year founded; 1977Revenue: $38.2 billion (2015)NYSE: ORCL

BlackBerry provides wireless hardware, software, and services worldwide. Its smartphones handle mobile voice, e-mail, and text messaging, as well as Internet access and multimedia applications. The company also provides software for managing mobile devices across a company and development tools

Google specializes in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, and software.Year founded: 1988Revenue: $66.0 billion (2014)NASDAQ: GOOG

Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe. With their positioning along the electrification value chain, Siemens has the knowhow that extends from power generation to power transmission, power distribution and smart grid to the efficient application of electrical energy.Featured Subsidiaries/ Business Units:- Digital Factory- Siemens Technology to Business (TTB)