Industry 4.0 and

Data Centers

 

Vocabulary

sign (3)	worldwide	operate (2)
digital	network	switch box
privacy	workflow	switch (2)
CEO	available	destination
safe (2)	deal with	components
digitize	fail-safe	quantum leap
leap	condition	take shape
port	area (2)	switch over
critical	concern	fiber optic cable
rapidly	cloud (2)	pass through
rent	demand	volume (3)
security	tight (2)	spokesperson
flow (2)	mean (3)	stream (2)
critical	showcase	infrastructure
fail	case (2)	crossroads
region	response	break down
level	function	encourage
robust	essential	throughout
process	calculate	automation
reality	boom (2)	here to stay

 
 
 

Video: Industry 4.0 and Data Centers

 
 
 
 

Transcript

This factory of the future is operating right now near Frankfurt. Switchbox producer Rietal has completely digitalized the workflow. The machines communicate with one another in a single network.

The factory is a showcase of Industry 4.0.

It’s meant to encourage customers to switch over to digital, with technology available now.

Maximilian Brandl, Eplan Software CEO: “We have software. We have great automation components. We have cloud applications. We have the telecoms infrastructure. We have met all the conditions to make the next quantum leap.

New use cases and new ideas are being born.”

Industry 4.0 is taking shape in this old port area in Frankfurt. The Interxion Company has spent almost a hundred million euros to build a new data center.

Data has become a critical part of the economy. And that shows no signs of stopping.

Many high-speed, international, fiber-optic cables pass through Frankfurt, making it one of the internet’s key crossroads.

And the data volumes are growing rapidly.

Mareike Jacobshagen, Interxion Data Center Spokeswoman: “We need to build a new data center every year. We do this because the demand is so great. We are able to rent half of our data centers before they even open.”

There is tight security at the data centers. Almost any information sent by internet in Germany has to pass through this hub.

Data streams from Eastern Europe and Asia also flows through here. Privacy is a big concern. Nothing is recorded; only forwarded to the right destination.

Because these data centers have become critical to the economy, they have to be fail-safe.

Thomas King, DE-CIX Chief Information Officer: “If a big internet hub breaks down, it can cause problems throughout the region. The response times will be longer.

But the internet would still function on a worldwide level.”

A robust, secure internet is essential to mid-sized companies like Rietel that process more and more data from the internet.

And it also means more jobs.

Maximilian Brandl, Eplan Software CEO: “I calculate we’ll need more people, because we have so many more ideas, and many more processes that we are dealing with.

We are looking for many new employees worldwide.”

The boom in data center construction is a sign that digitalization is here to stay. And Industry 4.0 is quickly becoming everyday reality.

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Questions

1. Different machines in the switchboard factory are linked together, digitally. True or false?

2. Is Industry 4.0 is a synthesis of robotics, computers, software, the internet, cloud computing, and automation?

3. What is a data center? Is one enough?

4. Data is vital in business and industry. Is this right or wrong? Is the quantity of data increasing, decreasing or remaining the same?

5. Do the data centers record and store data? Is hacking a big concern or a minor issue?

6. If one data center malfunctions, the internet worldwide will be cut off. Is this correct or incorrect?

7. According to the industrial expert, will there be less jobs in the future because of Industry 4.0?

 
 

A. Are there data centers or hubs in your city or country?

B. Do you know anyone who works in a data center or factory?

C. Is your factory, company or organization becoming more digitalized and automated?

D. My tasks, duties and responsibilities are becoming more digitized, automated and computerized. Yes or no?

E. What will happen in the future?