Industrial IoT Myths – Busted!
It looks like the Industrial IoT is growing and spreading so quickly that a whole mythology is getting built up around it. In a recent blog, Teri Maltais at RtTech Software identifies four Industrial IoT myths, and deconstructs them. From what we can see, these myths are founded on real concerns among industrial users. Here is how Maltais addresses them:
Cost concerns: Maltais says that on-premise and IIoT solutions offer essentially the same functionality, and provide the same ROI. However, IIoT solutions replace the cost of up-front capital investment with monthly operating-expense payments, making them more cost-effective.
Security concerns: She breaks down the topic of security into three areas: 1) on-site, 2) communication, and 3) cloud level security. On-site security is the same as always, he says—pay attention to passwords, physical access, anti-virus software, etc. Her discussion of inbound and outbound communication covers the security features of a few data protocols (a discussion which we believe could be strengthened by mentioning a secure-by-design approach like Skkynet’s). At the cloud level she suggests what to look for in a good service provider, and quotes a Microsoft study in which small and midsize companies were shown to gain security benefits.
Concerns about too much data: RtTech Software, whom Maltais works for, provides tools for collecting and analyzing production data. She says that tools such as theirs can be used to manage the large amount of data generated from IIoT systems.
Concerns about a track record: Maltais acknowledges that the IIoT has a limited track record, due in large part to the fact that it is new. But, she adds, many IIoT applications are essentially the same as on-premise software, as mentioned above.
One take-away is that the Industrial IoT may have more in common with on-premise systems than you would expect. This point of view fits well with Skkynet’s evolutionary approach to the Industrial IoT, which provides a secure and seamless path of growth from in-plant to remote data access that can be implemented gradually, and on an as-needed basis.
