In the past, IT and OT were two separate fields: Information technology was responsible for data systems, while operational technology included the hardware and software that controlled and managed manufacturing and processing industry systems. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the OT world has been increasingly integrated with the IT world in recent years. At the same time, technologies such as digitalization, cloud and edge technologies, artificial intelligence and industrial Internet of Things are affecting operational technologies at a rapid pace, greatly accelerating the integration of IT and OT. According to Andreas Hoffmann, vice president of Weidmuller’s Interface Automation business unit, there will be at least 40 billion iot devices in use by 2025.

MINITRANS Hi-pot  Weidmuller anticipates and leads the trend of convergence of IT and OT to help users meet challenges

In the future, networking and digitization will allow entire processes to be extended to the edge of the network, giving enterprises a range of decisive competitive advantages, such as transparency and timely information, highly flexible processes, etc., which can help enterprises make forward-looking decisions, save time and costs, and improve process quality.

At the same time, these changes will lead to exponential growth in the volume of data and require the transfer of previously centralized IT functions and decision-making processes to decentralized edge components, which need to be based on digital networking between various systems and solutions. Although such a transformation can create more value for the company, it is not easy to achieve.

MINITRANS Hi-pot

This is because the benefits of flexibility, cost, and energy efficiency that integrated smart factories are supposed to deliver are limited by manufacturers’ proprietary automation systems. Today, seamless compatibility with third-party systems has long been a prerequisite for successful solutions in the IT field, but this condition is still not the standard in the OT field. Such limitations often lead to additional costs and other challenges for users.

MINITRANS Hi-pot  On the one hand, users often have to deal with incompatibilities that come with proprietary solutions and are forced to accept expensive system maintenance and retrofits. On the other hand, many recent cases have shown that in the event of global supply chain disruptions, proprietary solutions based on a particular manufacturer cannot easily be replaced by alternatives offered by other manufacturers.

To help users meet this challenge, Weidmuller is continuously working to connect Industrial iot and automation, partners and their users, cloud and data, and industrial ecosystems, so that users can benefit from an open digital network that increases productivity, flexibility, and efficiency. In the future, Weidmuller will continue to uphold the “pioneer spirit” and open source automation concept, and continue to lead the rapid development of innovative technology trends.