Operational Technology (OT)                                                                                                                                              OT used to monitor, process, relay information and control physical processes in industrial workflows. OT range from industrials Input/Output signals, actuators, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), programmable automation controllers (PAC), test systems & instrumentation (PXI), distributed control systems (DCS), computer numerical control (CNC) to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) used to collect, analyze and visualize industrial equipment data such as temperature, pressure, acceleration, vibration, humidity, power to maintain peak operation, efficiency and minimize downtime.

IT / OT Definition                                                                                                                                                                                                The Internet of Things (IoT) is at the center of IT/OT convergence. Connected devices use sensors to collect real-time data from equipment, like temperature, pressure. The devices then use actuators to control machinery and trigger actions based on changes in the information collected. Since the collected data has to be stored and distributed using IT resources directly impacting OT processes, these two distinct sectors are converging.

IT / OT Convergence                                                                                                                                                     The historic differences between IT and OT are quickly dissolving and giving way to increased interconnectivity that dramatically enhances the value that these systems deliver. IT/OT convergence is a key of Industry 4.0 and industrial IoT (IIoT) technologies, and an essential component of smarter factories, warehouses, energy grids, buildings and supply chains.

New industrial connectivity protocols                                                                                                                                 IO-Link, OPC UA and MQTT are emerging as the fastest growing I/O, OT and IT protocols, respectively, as vendors and end users alike look to capture richer industrial datasets more efficiently. Many industrial connectivity vendors have introduced products that natively support these protocols.

IT / OT Challenges                                                                                                                                                                Companies interested in IT/OT convergence often run into challenges when trying to connect their IT systems to their OT systems. Obstacles can include connectivity issues, data collection problems, cloud integration complications and application scaling and updating issues. For instance, using IT edge devices to collect data from OT systems can be challenging because OT equipment often uses different communications protocols than the edge devices.                                                                                                                                    Cybersecurity threats. Today IT is ultra-secure. The information that passes through it is of paramount importance to the company. In order to avoid industrial espionage, the theft of confidential data or the hacking of databases, cybersecurity is a priority for IT. On the other hand we have the OT with human-machine interfaces where you only have to enter the password “admin” to connect. Indeed, what is the point of securing the machines? The only people who can access it are the company’s technicians. By connecting the world of machines to that of computers, we connect them to the internet. But who says connected to the internet, says security flaws. The challenge of this convergence lies in securing this data transfer. No cybersecurity, no connected industry.