Summary: Rick Bullotta founded two companies that have been pivotal in the development of connected industry: Lighthammer (acquired by SAP in 2005) and Thingworx (acquired by PTC in 2014) and he is now an adviser to Microsoft Azure IoT. He’s a passionate advocate of new technologies and innovation, and enjoys the disclaimer that “80% is fact and 20% is BS - and I don’t know which is which”. Our conversation explores his personal background in industrial technology, and how the insights gained from his experiences at Wonderware helped shape the vision for the companies he started. Exploring the genesis of Lighthammer and Thingworx, the discussion touches on why blue-collar tasks benefit from an IT-driven “multiplier effect”, how innovation comes from empowered customers, and how simple visibility can kick-start profound changes in industrial businesses. Other topics covered include the market landscape around IoT platforms, potential of AI and machine learning, the potential and pitfalls around blockchain, and the future of connected industry. Areas of particular interest in technology include meta-sensing technologies around drones and robotics, simplifying the last foot of connectivity, 5G technologies and a company called Wave.io that seeks create events and alerting without relying on audio.
