Written by Duncan Nicol, Sales & Marketing Manager- Device Connections

We are in the midst of a third industrial revolution where communication, energy and transport are all evolving and converging.

During the first industrial revolution in the nineteenth century news reached the masses thanks to the invention of the steam powered rotary printing press. Coal became the new cheap energy source which went on to power the railways connecting town, cities and, critically, people. In the second industrial revolution during the twentieth century new forms of communication were introduced with the telephone, radio and television. Cheap oil was discovered which went on to power a transport revolution and the rise of the automobile.

What has all this got to do with Phoenix Contact and the Engineering Design Show (EDS)? In this third industrial revolution, data is the new currency and everything from smart phones to smart energy meters and electric vehicles are connected by data. At Phoenix Contact we think a lot about connectivity and are constantly innovating to improve the way devices connect to the wider world. Devices are becoming smarter and performing more tasks as the world we live in becomes more connected, decentralised and de-carbonised.

As an example, take the electric car. In this new world view your car is powered by batteries which are charged from renewable solar energy installed on the roof of your house. Your house has a smart meter which talks to the car and the solar panels and decides when and how to charge your car. Your car’s battery can also be used to balance the power needs of your home and the wider grid. This is not some vision of the future but happening right now and as a result is democratising energy production and consumption.

Innovation is at the heart of what we do at Phoenix Contact and enables this new world of device connectivity to function reliably and seamlessly.

Visit us at EDS this October to see the future of device connectivity.