The presentation begins with a brief introduction to Industry 4.0 and the Industrial IoT, before focusing on the source of big data in industrial environments. Sensors and smart actuators, acting as the sensory organs of machines, generate the information that is later stored in databases and analyzed using algorithms. IO-Link is the digital interface for smart devices and therefore enables the Industrial Internet of Things all the way down to the machine periphery. The IO-Link master provides the bridge to fieldbuses as well as to the IT infrastructure and cloud applications.

Three different application examples are used to demonstrate various use scenarios. The presentation concludes with an overview of the possible data flows from IO-Link to the cloud.