The increasing complexity of products and production, systems engineering and model-based development, the Internet of Things (IOT) and smart, value-added services are the issues driving manufacturing industry. Tackling these issues requires innovative approaches, new methods and processes as well as powerful software solutions. The ProSTEP iViP Symposium 2017, which is being held 17 and 18 May in Essen, provides an ideal platform for renowned experts from industry and the research community.

In his keynote entitled "IoT-Driven PLM Solutions", CONTACT's managing director Karl Heinz Zachries will be focusing on digital value creation in the context of products and services. "Product data and product models lie at the heart of the digital transformation," says Zachries. "What companies need now are methods and solutions for coming to grips with the interdisciplinary development of complex, networked mechatronic products. At the same time, apps and solutions need to be developed that allow the new business models and the benefits for the end customer to be experienced."

With its open Elements for IoT platform, CONTACT Software provides industry with the support it needs. Under the motto "Excellent one by one, combined outstanding", product-related IoT applications can be developed faster and better than ever before thanks to harmonized software modules. CONTACT will show the potential that digitalization offers using end-to-end IoT solutions at the parallel exhibition (stand 25/26) in the Colosseum Theater in Essen.

Practice-oriented scenarios illustrate rapid application development with CONTACT Elements and the interaction between modules such as device management, monitoring and analytics, digital twin and customer operations. According to CONTACT, the perfectly coordinated components allow IoT applications to be developed and deployed up to 10 times faster.

With over 650 participants from Asia, Europe and the USA, the ProSTEP iViP Symposium is one of the leading PLM conferences worldwide. For what is now the 20th time, the event will offer companies the perfect opportunity to exchange information on solutions, experience already gained and best practices with other PLM experts and gain fresh impetus. For more information, go to http://www.prostep.org/en/events/symposium/symposium-2017.html.