What role does the cloud play in industry today? And where do you see potential for the future in this area?
The cloud has long been at the top of the agenda for industrial CIOs, albeit with very different levels of maturity in its use. While some have already delved deep into the subject, others have only been able to scratch the surface. Of course, the extent to which companies get to grips with the cloud depends entirely on the respective business strategy and the IT strategy derived from it. After all, the cloud - with all its advantages - is not always the more cost-effective alternative compared to the existing infrastructure. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of untapped potential in the area of cloudification.

But before you start thinking about where the journey with the cloud is taking you, you should ask yourself what the actual added value of the cloud is for your own company. Specifically, companies need to examine the extent to which cloud solutions can generate a business impact for their own organization. Should the solution be used as a driver for the optimization of existing business processes, for example through data-driven automation, decision-making and control, or as an enabler for new business areas, for example through a new digital product portfolio or through strategic partner networks and networked supply chains? The central question should therefore be: "What challenges do I want to overcome with the help of the cloud and what are the champion use cases for my company?" No two companies have the same answer to this question, as the different circumstances of a company - be it the underlying business model or the existing assets and legacy systems - result in different potentials and opportunities for each company. The spectrum is broad and ranges from product development and ERP systems to logistics and actual production. Cloudification is conceivable everywhere, but does not always make sense. After all, you can't and don't have to install an iPhone in every hairdryer.

Another increasingly important technology is edge computing.Isthis limited to time-critical processes or where are the future areas of application?
The ongoing digitalization of companies is increasing the demands on data flow and data analysis, particularly in terms of latency. By implementing specific IoT solutions - such as predictive maintenance, digital employee management or collaborative robots - ever larger volumes of data need to be analyzed in a short space of time and fed back as decision-making impulses. Edge computing is the perfect solution for this and ensures the further networking of the company. While the cloud is usually located far away, I have "small data centers" directly on site - right at the edge, the outer edge of my infrastructure. Data can be processed decentrally here, directly where it is generated. The data is therefore processed faster and can be quickly translated into processes. This reduces response times. An example: for a machine that is susceptible to temperature fluctuations, we would connect the thermometer to the Edge and analyze the data there instead of taking a detour via the cloud. Here, the Edge fulfills a filter function for high-quality real-time analyses.

With the help of edge computing, a company can also ensure a high level of reliability through decentralized data processing and is therefore very well suited for deployments with a high number of devices in a small coverage area, for example. Edge also offers enormous advantages for companies in terms of security and data protection, as data can be filtered and encrypted before it is sent to the cloud.

How can these two technologies be meaningfully integrated into a comprehensive digitalization concept?
Edge and cloud computing are first and foremost technology components within an enterprise architecture. What this architecture looks like depends on the challenges it is intended to address. For example, if real-time processing of data is required, then it is worth carrying this out on site at the edge. On the other hand, long-term maintenance analyses can be better mapped in the cloud. Depending on whether the focus is on performance, availability, security, interfaces or, above all, the criticality of the applications, it is important to consider which data is located where. There are also questions about which systems are already in place, which need to be connected, what the interfaces and data models look like and which systems need to be transformed. Ultimately, it's all about a sensible overall concept, which can also consist of a combination of cloud, edge and on-premise solutions. None of the building blocks should be considered in isolation from one another, but rather as part of a long-term and sustainable business strategy that can meet the challenges of the future.