Huawei 2014 Annual Report Download - page 56

54 Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. 2014 Annual Report
In robotics, enhanced computing capabilities coupled
with new sensors and software development tools
will make robots smarter, more affordable, and better
able to recognize human faces, gestures, and voices.
Robots will possess acute situational awareness or even
emotional awareness.
Artificial intelligence (AI), if combined with cloud
computing and Big Data technologies, will match or
even exceed human intelligence in certain areas. This
integration allows for the automation of knowledge
work in such professions as medical diagnosis.
In manufacturing, 3D printing will advance dramatically,
making "factories in a box" a reality and using nano
materials as the raw materials.
None of these quantum leaps will take place in a
vacuum. They will depend on interdisciplinary
integration and innovation, particularly the integration
of information technology with other technologies, most
notably communications technology. In fact, information
technology is becoming the basis for innovation in
almost every field.
Information technology is driving a new industrial
revolution and creating a new industry ecosystem
and business landscape. ICT has become a
part of the national strategy and the national
competitiveness.
In the two centuries since the first Industrial Revolution,
society has gone through three transformations,
including mechanization, electrification, and
automation. Today, we are at a new starting point.
Information technology is profoundly integrating with
the technologies of other industries. ICT is digitally
transforming traditional industries, forcing them to
upgrade and move to a new state of evolution. This
is a new industrial revolution. People define this new
revolution in different ways, calling it the Industrial
Internet, the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to
Machine (M2M), integration of the Internet and industry,
or Industry 4.0.
In any field, whether electricity, transportation,
manufacturing, or healthcare, the crux of this new
revolution lies in the smart functionality of ubiquitous
networks, smart devices, smart applications based on
Big Data, and other core systems. These will change
how industries produce and redefine how we live.
Indeed, this new industrial revolution will create a
new industry ecosystem and business landscape in
the information era. For example, the integration of
advanced manufacturing technology and IT can make
manufacturing much more efficient, while also allowing
for a level of personalization previously seen only in
artisan studios. This is a revolutionary change. Equally
evident is the fact that ICT has become part of the
national strategy and the national competitiveness.
In the context of the information society and the new
industrial revolution, the information industry has now
become the foundation and enabler for all industries,
and will embrace new growth opportunities. That
said, the information industry is not immune to the
transformative effects of IT advancements. Information
technology will not only transform traditional industries,
but also reshape the information industry.
■ New smart devices: "Smart Everything" is the
prerequisite for a Better Connected World and
a new industrial revolution.
"Smart hardware" is a new technological concept
that has emerged in the wake of the smartphone.
Through the integration of software and hardware,
we can modernize legacy equipment by adding
smart functions. After becoming smart, hardware
can connect with each other, and with the cloud to