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Network Infrastructure Magazine | Monday, February 27, 2023
Companies using new technologies face obstacles; instead of getting discouraged by potential obstacles, people should focus on their goals and positive results.
FREMONT, CA: Implementing the industrial internet of things can be highly beneficial for businesses, and the initial phases of such undertakings do not always proceed smoothly. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a network of interconnected sensors, actuators, and other components to improve industrial operations. Widespread perception holds that having this type of connectivity throughout a facility offers improved data collection and visibility, providing decision-makers with additional data they can utilize to reliably take action and solve problems. Even when industry executives see the potential benefits, it is not always simple to adopt IIoT.
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Struggling to secure linked infrastructure: IIoT connectivity increases cybercriminals' attack surface. Online attackers could cause havoc in a facility with IIoT-connected equipment. Decision-makers can improve by penetration tests that can reveal hacker entry points. They can even identify human-related dangers like phishing email responses. Security measures may become outdated. IIoT security requires better management. Security enhancements may require blockchain. Experts believe the technology will disrupt many businesses. Blockchain's immutable ledger may help ensure transparency and avoid tampering.
Not specifying purpose and scope: Some decision-makers feel pressured to adopt IIoT because they think their competitors have. It should not be the primary motive for adoption. Executives should consider their IIoT goals. IIoT implementation must be limited. Preparing for this helps control costs and ensures everyone understands the performance. Focusing on IIoT's potential benefits might also drive people. Smart data collecting can reduce equipment faults and make workplaces safer. IIoT implementers should conduct cybersecurity audits.
Data problems: IIoT devices collect more data than consumer IoT devices. While a homeowner's IoT device collects data on a single residence, an IIoT network may span sites worldwide and collect data from hundreds or thousands of pieces of equipment at once. That's why data-collecting issues plague IIoT implementation. Decision-makers may be unsure how to process all the incoming information efficiently. Understanding the company's IIoT goals helps choose which data to collect. Company officials would likely desire machine temperatures, unique vibration patterns, and overall running hours.
Scalability issues: IIoT implementers also struggle with scalability. It is hard to scale projects because the integration effort was too hard and required too much effort, the related vendors did not support scaling, and the project life cycle support was too expensive or not credible. Hardware could assist decision-makers in scale. IIoT projects should get viewed long-term. Some focus exclusively on implementing a proof of concept. If they wish to scale the project, they'll have to look beyond the early efforts, but many lessons learned can be helpful later.
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