Microsoft's recent announcement regarding the retirement of its Azure IoT Central platform, initially causing concern among developers building systems for factories or plants, highlighted the potential impact on the manufacturing technology industry, Automation World reported.
The abrupt notice from Microsoft, reminiscent of IBM's similar move in 2022, raised questions about the future of IoT application platforms and their role in industrial settings. However, Microsoft swiftly retracted the announcement, clarifying that the system message was erroneous and assuring customers of their standard notification process for product retirements, offering a three-year period before discontinuing support.
Despite the temporary confusion, responses from automation technology suppliers such as Beckhoff USA and Inductive Automation demonstrated a reassuring trend. These companies emphasized their reliance on standardized IoT protocols like MQTT, HTTP and OPC UA, rather than tightly coupling to specific platforms like Azure IoT Central.
To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to Azure IoT Central, read the full story from Automation World here.
