GFT Technologies, a provider of consulting and implementation services in cloud engineering, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), has acquired the portfolio and workforce of Trumpf subsidiary Axoom, a software company based in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The Axoom site will become a new business hub for GFT, enabling it grow its industrial expertise.
Part of the Axoom team, which was closely involved in the development of components for Trumpf’s smart factory solution TruConnect, will be transferring to Trumpf. The software solutions involved will also remain with Trumpf, along with the rights to the Axoom brand.
GFT has also entered into a two-year development partnership with Trumpf, which will see the two entities undertake joint projects in further developing machine software to facilitate the implementation of networked production and smart factory solutions.
The acquisition and partnership announcements were met with a Trumpf announcement declaring its intentions to step up the development of its own smart factory solutions. To this end, the company will be combining the software solutions retained from Axoom with its machine networking and platform activities at its headquarters in Ditzingen, Germany.
The laser and machine tool giant explained that one of the goals of this change is to further standardise its machine networking offerings in order to offer customers smart factory solutions more quickly and easily than previously possible.
‘Up until now, we have often had to deploy made-to-measure customer solutions, which are more complicated and costly to integrate,’ said Mathias Kammüller, chief digital officer at Trumpf. ‘We are convinced that this reorganisation at Trumpf and the development partnership with GFT will enable us to achieve our digital ambitions for sheet metal processing even more quickly and effectively, and to expand our proven expertise in industrial IoT and smart factory solutions even faster.’
Trumpf's announcement is not the only evidence of it stepping up its smart factory activities recently. Last month the firm acquired a stake in Dresden-based IoT startup Zigpos to help boost its interlinked and networked production offerings.
Commenting on the Axoom takeover, Marika Lulay, CEO of GFT Technologies added: ‘The acquisition of the Axoom team fits well with our investment strategy, which aims to extend our industrial expertise, while the development partnership with Trumpf will enable us to pursue our industrial offensive faster and on a broader front.
‘Like Industry 4.0 technology itself, we are developing fast. The Axoom employees combine innovative IT expertise with industry know-how. I am delighted to welcome them into our global team and offer their extensive and comprehensive consulting expertise to our clients.’
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