Cloud Computing for Industry 4.0

Abstract

The cloud computing paradigm is a never-ending topic of research providing its users with state-of-the-art technological benefits. Its rapid adoption by various companies has paved the way for the Industry 4.0 model. In this paper, we try to consolidate our research on cloud computing to be a part of Industry 4.0. The 4th industrial revolution, after the steam engine, electric power, and electronics being the marker of the first, second, and third revolution, respectively, is referred to as Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 has a great potential to change the manufacturing sector drastically, and the way factories work by automating the different processes. It transforms the conventional pyramid model to a more rigid and efficient network model of interconnected services, which makes it possible for operational technologies and information technologies to come under a single umbrella and work together with higher utilization of various resources. These interconnected services produce a huge data, which makes its storage and efficient analysis very crucial. Therefore, cloud computing, along with big data become the two most important pillars in the Industry 4.0 model. In this paper, we focus on the cloud computing aspect of the Industry 4.0 model. That is, how we can use the various new advances which are happening in cloud computing and how these new technological advances can be incorporated into the Industry 4.0 model as well as the need, benefits, and difficulties of applying cloud computing technology in Industry 4.0.