HPE Integrates Aruba Access Points with ABB Smart Sensors

HPE DISCOVER — Since coming together in 2017, HPE and ABB continue to expand their collaboration. They announced Tuesday the integration of ABB Ability Smart Sensor technology with Aruba Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth-enabled access points.

The news comes out of HPE Discover in Las Vegas.

The ABB smart sensor attaches to a traditional motor, mounted bearings or pumps, to transform them into wirelessly connected devices, which when used with Aruba access points enable customers with large industrial sites and multiple access points to monitor the condition and performance of the equipment. 

ABB’s Andre Scharer

“It’s like a smart watch looking after the health of the equipment,” Andre Scharer, global digital alliance manager at ABB, told Channel Futures. “[The sensor] collects a variety of data; there’s some on-premises processing of the data, so there’s some analytics built into the sensor, and then the data is sent via the network to the ABB Ability Cloud.” 

Then, information about the status and health of the equipment is provided via dashboards. Users can get advanced notice about the devices; for example, the motors, bearings or pumps, and can intervene, or take proactive steps. ABB calls that condition monitoring. Users also get information about predictive maintenance. 

ABB Ability Smart Sensor technology is part of the vendor’s ABB Ability, a unified, cross-industry digital offering, from device to edge to cloud. ABB Ability includes more than 210 industrial internet solutions such as digitally connected devices, systems and digital-enabling services, an industrial internet technology platform and cloud infrastructure for customers, partners, suppliers and developers leveraging Microsoft Azure. 

The value proposition for customers includes increased uptime, cost management and safety-hazard reduction.

Since the two vendors started collaborating, the direction of partnership has broadened. In April 2018, HPE, in conjunction with ABB and Rittal, a provider of industrial solutions, unveiled the Secure Edge Data Center (SEDC) for industrial and telecommunications environments. This allows customers to run enterprise-grade IT in close proximity to their operational technology environments, machines and equipment to enable low latency, secure and reliable digital processes. 

ABB has four business lines, and HPE has many projects underway with ABB. Scharer wouldn’t provide more detail about the ongoing work, saying it’s too early to discuss.

“All of our equipment needs to be connected to the cloud somehow. That’s where HPE comes in,” he said. 

The three main areas of collaboration are the intelligent edge; hybrid IT and services, including with HPE Pointnext. 

Availability of the new integrated solution is scheduled for later this year.