As for Ethan, his reverse-engineering efforts had led to a new opportunity with GE Fanuc. He had demonstrated the value of community engagement and open innovation, which would shape the future of industrial automation.
Ethan had stumbled upon an older version of the software and began to analyze its code. He discovered that the software used a proprietary protocol to communicate with the machinery, which could be adapted for other uses.
It was a typical summer internship at a manufacturing plant for Alex, a computer science student. He had been tasked with maintaining the plant's machinery, which was largely controlled by GE Fanuc's VersaPro software. As he began to familiarize himself with the system, he realized that the software was not easily accessible on his laptop.