All the data BP collects will help it see trends, allowing it to predict well flows, plan its extractions and even prevent downtime. To be clear, BP has been using well-monitoring software that the company itself developed for a long time, but it's old and quickly becoming outdated. Predix is easy to use and install: "Previously we had four or five ways of doing it and now have a much more consistent approach," BP strategist Peter Griffiths told Fortune. If this pilot goes well, the British oil corp plans to connect all the 4,000 wells it owns around the globe to the platform sometime in 2016.

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