Technology innovations such as IoT, machine learning and digital twins are breaking down traditional silos between IT & OT. We see this in the data center itself where the operational concerns of uptime and maintenance are integrating more with IT to ensure security, real-time monitoring and greater intelligence.

This is perhaps most visible when looking at the industrial edge; the OT already at plants, factories etc is converging with the IT infrastructure moving to the edge to support it. These advanced applications are data-hungry and bring a new level of IT requirements to the industrial space. A hybrid on-premise / cloud-based control and analysis architecture can help industrial users deal with issues like:

• Improving latency and connectivity
• Driving greater security & control
• Effective maintenance and analysis

There are, however, both cultural and technological challenges that must be overcome to exploit this convergence.

In this debate, AVEVA, HPE, and Schneider Electric discuss:

• Real-world examples of distributed IT applications in industrial environments
• The challenges that arise and how to collaborate successfully
• How to accelerate their digital transformation to take advantage of these new technology trends as simply and securely as possible