Telefonica struck a strategic partnership with Spain-based equipment supplier Grupo Alava to roll out a maintenance system providing data intelligence to industrial companies, helping to spot faults and defects in machinery.

The operator stated its Telefonica Tech division collaborated with Grupo Alava to develop an industrial system to help digitise maintenance processes, contributing to improving the performance of numerous assets in the value chain including rotary engines, reciprocating machinery and electric transformers.

Data will be collected by sensors connected by Telefonica’s 5G and LTE networks, stored and processed through industrial edge computing technology and then accessible to the companies through a platform.

AI offers access to data which to better manage production capabilities, extend the lifecycle of machinery and optimise maintenance costs.

The companies believe AI and big data can employ machine learning to improve the efficiency and performance of the equipment. Monitoring of such assets “is a fundamental step in the digital transformation of industrial companies”, Telefonica stated.

Andres Escribano, director of new business and Industry 4.0 at Telefonica Tech, said 5G, IoT, edge computing and big data technologies could help “all companies in the industrial sector avoid long downtimes and reduce costs”, while playing a key role in developing more “sustainable and resilient industrial activity”.