PTC Inc., based in Boston, has unveiled the 10.0 update for its IoT/M2M platform, ThingWorx. This new version includes a variety of enhancements, such as improved data management, enhanced security measures, and significant updates to its user interface, particularly in the Software Content Management screens. ThingWorx is predominantly utilized by large manufacturers to oversee extensive fleets of IoT devices, and it is also popular in smart building applications. The platform integrates seamlessly with organizations’ Customer Relationship Management (CRM), business intelligence, reporting, and various other systems.
Despite being marketed as a ready-to-use application, most installations require some customization and development to work effectively within an organization’s existing structure. One of the core functionalities of ThingWorx is its ability to capture real-time data from sensors and machinery. This capability allows companies to create digital twins of physical systems, enabling them to experiment with operational model changes without disrupting daily operations. Additionally, the captured data is invaluable for facilitating preventive maintenance, allowing companies to schedule downtime for machinery with minimal operational impact.
Although ThingWorx supports certain functions natively, many enterprises have invested in their own systems to customize data presentation and parsing. Consequently, integration remains a crucial aspect of any ThingWorx deployment, often involving value-added services from specialized resellers. The 10.0 update also sees the deprecation of Java 11, with the platform now supporting Java version 21. Other technical upgrades include the Spring Framework and Spring Security, which have been updated to versions 6 and 6.4.2, respectively.
The inclusion of TLS 1.3, alongside enhanced Content Security Policy (CSP) measures, is indicative of the increasing importance of security as companies integrate operational technology with IT infrastructure and cloud services. To improve interoperability, the new release introduces ‘IoT Streams’ for writing property-value changes to Apache Kafka or Azure Event Hub, along with robust data queues for persistence during service interruptions. New features such as ‘CacheThing’ allow for near-real-time processing of essential events, while partition options for databases improve query performance. Additionally, the update enhances data visualization capabilities, enabling better filtering and segmentation of asset fleets, thus streamlining operations for facilities managing extensive device inventories.
In summary, ThingWorx 10.0 brings significant backend improvements alongside front-end enhancements, emphasizing both functionality and user experience.