The IEEE, or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, announced formal collaboration with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) toward development of a comprehensive architecture for an interoperable Internet of Things (IoT). The Industrial Internet Consortium and the IEEE P2413 Architectural Framework for the Internet of Things (IoT) Working Group plan to share stakeholders' expertise on requirements for the industrial IoT and gaps in interoperability standards .

IBM announced that Watson will gain the ability to "see" by bringing together Watson's advanced image analytics and cognitive capabilities with data and images obtained from Merge Healthcare Incorporated's medical imaging management platform. IBM plans to acquire Merge, a leading provider of medical image handling and processing, interoperability and clinical systems designed to advance healthcare quality and efficiency, in an effort to unlock the value of medical images to help physicians make better patient care decisions

Following a resolution at a meeting of its Board of Directors held on July 30, OMRON Corporation announced its entry into a stock purchase agreement to acquire a 100 percent stake in Delta Tau Data Systems, Inc. of California, the United States (hereinafter referred to as "DT"), which will result in DT becoming a member of the OMRON Group. The acquisition is subject to customary conditions to closing. OMRON expects the acquisition to close around early September 2015.

HighJump, a global provider of supply chain management solutions announced that it has acquired Nexternal, a leading cloud-based eCommerce platform provider based in California.

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce via the Global Logistics Network (GLN), announced that it has acquired MK Data Services LLC ("MK Data"), a leading US-based provider of denied party screening trade data and solutions.

Keywords: Logistics, Mobile Solutions, Logistics Service Providers (LSPs), Distribution Centers

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce via the Global Logistics Network (GLN), announced that it has acquired BearWare, Inc. ("BearWare"), a leading US-based provider of mobile solutions to improve collaboration between retailers and their logistics service providers.

IFS announces that it has signed an agreement with the owners of VisionWaves B.V. to purchase 100 percent of the company's shares. The purchase price will be paid in cash.

Schneider Electric SE announces it has reached a preliminary, non-binding agreement with AVEVA Group PLC on the key terms and conditions of a combination of selected Schneider Electric industrial software assets and AVEVA (forming the "Enlarged AVEVA Group").

Both companies expect that the proposed transaction would:

Microsoft Corp. and data center services company Rackspace Hosting Inc. are partnering regarding the use of Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service.   Under the alliance, Rackspace will provide assistance for companies to use Azure and guide them on how to best optimize its processing, data storage, databases, and other services. Rackspace will help companies to solve service or security problems and assist with combining Azure to each company's own computing facilities.

Panduit Corp., a global provider of Industrial Automation Infrastructure solutions, announced it has completed the acquisition of IntraVUE by Network Vision Inc. This acquisition adds to the Panduit Industrial Automation Infrastructure offerings to its customer base with a tool for visualization and diagnostics of Industrial Ethernet control networks.