Hans, what exactly does "Cognitive Solutions" entail?
We introduced the business unit at SAMSON's International Sales Meeting this year. It is one of four business modules that our success-oriented sales strategy is based on.
It sounds like artificial intelligence is involved. Is that correct?
To some extent. But it goes far beyond that. The solutions link our hardware to the digital world. Sensors play an increasingly significant role and data volumes are growing at an unprecedented rate. Operating personnel is becoming more and more overwhelmed because of this advancement in technology. In response, our automation solutions are opening up smart ways of dealing with the changing digital world.
Can you give us an example?
At the International Sales Meeting, I used the steam engine as an example. But you could also take the car to illustrate what I mean: there was a time when everyone laughed about automobiles as they started to appear on the roads, replacing horse-drawn carts. Nowadays, we take cars for granted as a means of transport and even expect them to run 50,000 km before they need any servicing. Or think about offshore oil platforms moored in the North Sea: with the help of smart automation, they can function reliably without the need for operators to risk their lives in treacherous conditions.