Modern technologies have changed the way organizations work, and IT/OT convergence is a major influence in this regard. It merges information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) in an organization.
While IT systems focus on data processing and maintenance, OT systems control and monitor equipment and physical processes, including controllers, sensors, and machinery. Integration of these technologies can improve efficiency and optimize business operations in a company. We look at IT/OT convergence in detail below to explain its types and benefits.
What Is IT/OT Convergence?
IT/OT convergence means the merging of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). It enables real-time, actionable insights to be obtained from data collected from the physical world. This gives organizations better visibility of their operations, and more control over them.
For instance, an industrial plant can use IT/OT convergence for inventory management. The OT systems can monitor equipment performance, while the IT systems can acquire customer data. The process allows the organization to leverage both systems together and make informed decisions.
Types of IT/OT Convergence
There are different types of IT/OT convergence. Here are some of them:
- Organizational Integration: In this type, the organizational culture and structures of both the OT and IT teams are aligned. That allows both teams to collaborate easily and make shared decisions.
- Infrastructure Integration: The underlying infrastructure in an organization can range from servers to networks. In infrastructure integration, the technology of OT and IT systems is converted for unified system creation.
- Data Integration: Data is at the root of decision-making in a company. Organizations can integrate data from IT and OT systems to get better insights. This is especially helpful for predictive maintenance, supply chain management, and customer understanding.
- Application Integration: In this type, the OT and IT applications integrate to allow better communication and coordination.
- Process Integration: IT and OT systems can also converge to automate operational processes, like supply chain and network architecture management. The automation of business processes allows organizations to save time and money while maximizing efficiency.
IT/OT Convergence Benefits
IT/OT convergence has many benefits for individual teams and the organization as a whole. Here are some of them.
Automates Manual Processes
IT/OT convergence allows companies to automate manual processes, such as inventory management and predictive maintenance. For example, a company can connect sensors to a network to allow real-time equipment monitoring.
They can analyze the data collected from these sensors by software and machine learning. The information allows advance maintenance scheduling, preventing downtime and boosting productivity.
Likewise, an organization can also connect IT systems and inventory management systems to automate inventory tracking, restocking, and ordering. For example, sensors can determine when inventory levels are becoming too low. They can then trigger an automatic reorder.
Decreases the Amount of Unplanned Downtime
When there's integration between IT and OT systems, detecting issues in real time becomes quite easy. Organizations have more visibility into their processes, allowing them to address problems before they become a reason for downtime.
For example, the manufacturing industry can benefit largely from IT/OT convergence. Typically, a manufacturing plant uses IT systems for inventory management and logistics. Meanwhile, the OT systems control machines, collect sensor data, and monitor production lines.
By integrating the two, manufacturing plants get a comprehensive view of their operations. For instance, if a sensor collects data about an equipment failure, the plant managers can take quick action to prevent downtime or monetary losses.
Streamlines the Decision Making Process
IT/OT convergence also allows organizations to make informed decisions quickly. Let's expand on the example of the manufacturing plant.
In a manufacturing environment, the OT systems will collect production data. It includes supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, sensors, and programmable logic controllers. Plant managers or operators use this data to identify issues and monitor manufacturing processes.
But not all teams in the organization can access this data. For instance, the SCADA system's production data may not be connected to the customer relationship management system. IT/OT convergence breaks down silos, giving everyone access to this data.
For example, the manufacturing plant can integrate product data into an analytics platform. It could then provide insights into quality issues, customer trends, and supply chain management. Such insights can help the organization make better decisions and improve outputs.
Potential IT/OT Convergence Challenges
An IT/OT convergence strategy can do wonders for a company. But it also poses several challenges.
For one, integrating both systems can create new vulnerabilities. It may also give rise to new attack vectors, compromising the integrity and confidentiality of infrastructure systems.
Both IT and OT teams will also have different goals, priorities, and objectives. When you integrate their systems, they may have to redefine their priorities, leading to collaboration issues. For example, while IT teams focus on agility, OT teams prefer safety and reliability.
Along the same lines, OT systems are often designed to be long-lasting. Since they're legacy systems, integrating them with modern IT systems can be time-consuming. Plus, the integration of these systems also involves data management. Managing such vast data can be challenging in terms of consistency and accuracy.
IT/OT Convergence Network Architecture
The network technology of an IT/OT converged system supports data exchange and communication between both parties. Such a network architecture often has multiple layers.
The physical layer includes connections and devices, such as cables, switches, routers, or IoT solutions. Meanwhile, the data link layer involves data transmission over the physical layer using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The architecture may also have an application layer for data storage, visualization, and analysis. Plus, it may have a transport layer that uses protocols like UDP and TCP to control data flow.
IT/OT Convergence Security
Modern business models keep security a top priority, and rightfully so. When using IT/OT convergence for business applications, organizations must reduce cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities.
One way to accomplish this is through access control and segmentation. By segmenting the network, you can ensure that attackers will not get access to the whole system even if they manage to breach one part. Meanwhile, access control restricts unauthorized access to company data.
Companies should also conduct regular risk assessments to look for potential threats and vulnerabilities in the system. They should monitor the system for suspicious activity or abnormal traffic to catch any malicious activity in real time.
Most importantly, companies must use reliable authentication methods and encryption protocols to protect data while it is transferred over the networks.
How To Get Started
The key to getting started is to create a network architecture for IT/OT convergence. You can do this by establishing the physical layer first. For this, you need edge devices, such as routers.
Novotech has a wide range of cellular routers for you to choose from. With our routers, you can easily connect IT and OT systems and establish a secure network architecture.
Once the physical layer is in place, you can go ahead to select the data link and transport layers. Check out Novotech's router collection here to get started with IT/OT convergence.