The concept of digitization in the manufacturing industry
may be like trying to bridge the gap between the two islands of IT and OT. Each
side knows about each other, and each understands the importance of the other.
But the idea of connecting with each other can be met with resistance.
At the IT-OT Refresher Specification Industrial Computers
for Project webinar, we affirm that this division is more common than not. John
Fryer, senior director of industrial solutions at Stratus, says: “It can often
be difficult to separate the IT world, where all of our email and ERP
applications run, and the OT world, where all of our ERP applications run. ...
As we move on to the next iteration of manufacturing,
Industry 4.0, an increasingly competitive manufacturing world will drive the
construction of this bridge. Companies that have worked with a traditional
system for decades will evolve and eventually become more IT-like. Fryer says
this means the need to deploy new applications and conduct deeper analytics
will increase.
While IT and OT often seem to speak different languages,
when in reality it is about running an integrated, digitalized system, the
things they care about are very similar.
Both sides are concerned about cybersecurity. As IIoT
(Industrial Internet of Things) grows, more and more devices are becoming
interconnected. This can create many entry points for hackers. IT and
manufacturing also want to implement industry-wide standards-based systems
rather than proprietary technologies of their own. This is necessary for each
party so that they can scale and grow effectively with demand. Unplanned
downtime is another problem that can delay profits and production.
To learn more about the barriers and solutions that come
with bridging IT and OT, see the full IT-OT Refresher Specifying Industrial
Computers for Project.
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