In this rapidly developing digital era, an emerging giant beast, the Industrial Internet, is rising at an astonishing speed, which not only heralds the leap progress of productivity, but also leads the entire industrial world to an unprecedented new era.
However, we have observed that in the field of industrial Internet, there have long been two completely different camps: one is good at closely combining high-end information technology with traditional industry to create a new intelligent production mode; On the other hand, it is deeply engaged in the digital transformation of specific industries, and has injected new vitality into the traditional manufacturing industry with its unique industry insights and practical experience.
In this transformative competition, how do the two platforms leverage their respective strengths, how do they respond to challenges, and how will they affect the future industrial landscape?
According to the observation of the data ape, the industrial Internet platform can be roughly divided into two categories, one is the digital industrialization industrial platform, which is the application of information technology in the field of industrial manufacturing to form the industrial Internet platform. This type of platform mainly provides general services, with a wide range of services, such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, etc., and the services are aimed at enterprises of different sizes and natures, including manufacturing, retail, logistics, etc., and are not limited to specific manufacturing industries.
At the same time, this type of platform is relatively independent, and users can choose the right service provider according to their own needs, and there is also a certain competitive relationship between the mutual platforms. Typical representatives include cloud vendors: Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Cloud, JD Cloud, Inspur Cloud, etc., as well as software companies, such as Yonyou, Dongfang Guoxin, etc.
On the other hand, the digital business of leading manufacturing enterprises represents another form of industrial Internet. This type of platform is dominated by leading manufacturing companies and deeply integrates the business of a specific industry, so it is more focused on solving the pain points and needs of the industry. And this kind of platform can provide comprehensive digital solutions, including equipment management, production process monitoring, **chain optimization, etc. At the same time, this type of platform has in-depth cooperation with leading enterprises in specific industries to achieve vertical integration, making the platform closer to the needs and standards of the industry. Typical representative manufacturers such as Fortune Federation of Industry, Tree Root Internet Root Cloud (Sany Heavy Industry), Aerospace Cloud Network INDICS (Aerospace Science and Technology), Kaos Cosmoplat (Haier Group), XCMG Hanyun (XCMG Group).
So, what are the similarities and differences between these two types of industrial Internet platforms?
The two types of industrial Internet platforms have similarities in the following aspects:
1. Digital transformation: Both the first and second types of platforms are committed to promoting the digital transformation of the industrial field. By providing digital infrastructure, intelligent manufacturing, industrial big data and other solutions, we help industrial enterprises realize the digitalization and intelligence of the production process, improve production efficiency and reduce costs.
2. Cloud computing and big data technology: Both types of platforms rely on cloud computing and big data technology to store and calculate massive data in the cloud to achieve data analysis and value mining. These technologies can help improve the operational efficiency and innovation of industrial companies.
3. Networking and connection: Both types of platforms emphasize the networking and connection of industrial equipment, and realize the interconnection between devices through Internet of Things technology. This helps industrial enterprises to visualize, remotely monitor and manage the production process, and improve production quality and efficiency.
Although there are some similarities, there are significant differences between the two types of industrial Internet platforms.
First of all, there are differences between the two types of platforms in terms of type and technology.
Digital industrialization industrial platform, this kind of platform is mainly based on the application of information technology in the field of industrial manufacturing, through the construction of industrial Internet platform, to achieve digital transformation and industrial upgrading. They are usually dominated by information technology companies such as cloud vendors and software companies, and their main business is to provide industrial Internet platform services. This type of platform is strong in technology, especially emerging technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence. They look at the industrial sector from the perspective of digitalization and intelligent empowerment, aiming to transform and upgrade the manufacturing industry. However, the shortcoming of such platforms lies in the fact that they may not have sufficient understanding and familiarity with the business of industry and manufacturing itself.
The digital business of the leading manufacturing enterprises, this kind of platform is led by the leading manufacturing enterprises, with their own digital transformation and business expansion as the goal, and realizes the digital management and operation of the enterprise internally and externally by building an industrial Internet platform. The technical strength of such platforms is weak as a whole, mainly relying on the integration of external technologies. However, the advantages of this type of platform lie in the experience of manufacturing scenarios, stronger business attributes, and better understanding of industry know-how, and this type of platform often focuses more on meeting the in-depth needs of specific industries.
Secondly, the service objects of the two types of platforms are different.
The first type of platform mainly serves the majority of industrial enterprises, providing general digital infrastructure and industrial Internet platform services for various industries, helping enterprises achieve digital transformation and industrial upgrading, and has wider applicability.
The second type of platform mainly serves specific manufacturing enterprises or industries, providing customized industrial Internet platform services to meet the specific needs and business development of enterprises. However, the biggest customer of such platforms is often itself, then into its own manufacturing space, and finally outward. This model has certain industry limitations, for example, Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud and other cloud vendors-based first-class platforms can not only do the industrial Internet in the energy field, but also can be the industrial Internet platform in the field of clothing manufacturing and other fields, and can also be the industrial Internet platform in the steel industry, but Kaos (Haier Group) may be better at the industrial Internet application in the field of home appliance manufacturing, and may not be familiar enough with the industrial Internet application in the coal mining field.
Finally, there may be industry limitations and neutrality issues.
Industrial Internet platforms that have come out of the industry may have neutrality issues. Because some platforms are strongly associated with a particular business or industry, this may lead to other businesses or industries being reluctant to use the platform. For example, if the Kaos platform mainly serves the Haier Group, then other home appliance companies such as Midea and Gree may be reluctant to use the platform because of competition. Just like Xiaomi, OPPO does not use Huawei's HarmonyOS system, they themselves have a certain competitive relationship. This lack of neutrality limits the market promotion and application scope of the industrial Internet platform to a certain extent.
So, who will win these two types of platforms in the end, and which type of platform will be the mainstream trend of future development?
From a technical point of view, with the continuous advancement and innovation of technology, the first type of platform is likely to continue to strengthen technology research and development and enhance its strength in cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and other fields. At the same time, the second type of platform may also enhance its technical capabilities by integrating external technologies in order to provide more efficient solutions.
In terms of industry applications, the first type of platform may continue to break through and expand its application scenarios to provide common digital infrastructure for more industries. The second type of platform may focus more on meeting the needs of specific industries and providing customized solutions.
In terms of market competition, both types of platforms are likely to face competition from other companies. The first type of platform needs to compete with other technology companies to provide better technical support and service quality, while the second type of platform needs to cooperate with more manufacturing companies to provide solutions that are more in line with the needs of the industry.
Taken together, it is impossible to simply determine which of the two types of platforms represents the future direction of development. However, it is certain that whether it is a digital industrialization industrial platform or a manufacturing digital platform, it is necessary to continuously innovate and progress to maintain a competitive advantage to adapt to market demand and changes.
In the future, the two types of platforms are also likely to develop a model of cross-border cooperation, with the digital industrialization industrial platform providing strong technical support, and the manufacturing digital platform contributing its profound industry experience.
For digital industrialization industrial platforms: they need to strengthen cooperation with the industry, understand the specific needs and pain points of the industry through cooperation and investment, so as to better serve the manufacturing industry.
For digital platforms in the manufacturing industry: they need to continuously introduce external technologies, cooperate with technology vendors or develop their own research and development to maintain the competitiveness of their business.
One possible cooperation model is that digital industrialization industrial Internet platforms such as Alibaba Cloud have strong technical strength and infrastructure, which can provide efficient underlying computing power, storage, network infrastructure, as well as advanced big data and AI technology capabilities. Industrial digital industrial Internet platforms such as Kaos focus on the development and application of business systems, and have an in-depth understanding of the needs and business processes of specific industries.
Through this cooperation model, the two sides can share resources and complement each other's advantages. Platforms such as Alibaba Cloud can use platforms such as Kaos to gain in-depth knowledge of specific industries, optimize their technology solutions, and improve the efficiency and usefulness of business systems. At the same time, platforms such as Kaos can also improve the technical level and operational efficiency of their business systems with the help of the technical strength and infrastructure of platforms such as Alibaba Cloud.
Of course, this cooperation model also requires joint efforts and cooperation between the two sides. Platforms such as Alibaba Cloud need to open up their technical capabilities and infrastructure to communicate and collaborate closely with platforms such as Kaos. At the same time, platforms such as Kaos also need to actively use the technology and resource advantages of platforms such as Alibaba Cloud to improve the performance and stability of their business systems. Only by working together can we achieve win-win results and common development.