where machines speak for themselves

GE’s machines are talking. And thanks to AT&T’s machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, GE employees and customers can hear them loud and clear. Our alliance has created a highly secure global communications infrastructure for GE around the “Industrial Internet.”

Our M2M solutions help GE operate, track and monitor machinery – even identify needed repairs before something breaks. But the best part is that all this can be done from nearly anywhere in the world … whether you’re in an office, on the road or on a ship in mid-ocean.

This technology could have an especially big impact on GE’s aviation business. GE supplies equipment to more than 22,000 commercial aircraft and has 33,000 jet engines in commercial service around the world. Each aircraft has thousands of parts that require maintenance and repair. AT&T’s M2M technology has the potential to help GE review the health of each part separately and helps the “intelligent aircraft” communicate with maintenance crews. Combining predictive analytics and M2M technology increases the automated flow of information over the network. The result? Pilots know which parts need to be replaced and when, and they can make specific repairs based on actual needs, rather than relying on routine check-ups to uncover needed improvements. What’s more, this solution also helps save on maintenance costs, making the machines more reliable.

The combination of smart sensors, secure and reliable network infrastructure, data analytics and data sharing between people and machines presents even more opportunities for savings. An aircraft’s maintenance, fuel usage, crew allocation and scheduling are more efficient than ever before.

The possibilities of M2M technology are far-reaching. AT&T and GE are working on solutions that combine our device expertise, global network security and cloud access to create a new generation of electric lighting solutions, avionic communications, and vehicle chargers. We’re bringing similar capabilities to other companies in a wide variety of industries.

With M2M, distance doesn’t disrupt productivity and workers can complete tasks faster and smarter than ever before. We’re giving machines across the globe a voice. And they have plenty to say.