Solutions
Communication Hub
Integrate control, supervision, and planning systems of your facility (OT) with business systems (IT).
All-in-one solution for disparate environments.
The software systems of industries and infrastructures are increasingly interrelated, in order to reach a scenario where there is a real-time data exchange between the ERP, the SCADA, the maintenance system, the energy management system, the production planning system, etc. Not to mention other systems that are supposed to be implemented, such as artificial vision, predictive maintenance, or BIM models.
One of the main problems we encounter when trying to effect such connectivity is achieving a unique and effective integration for a heterogeneous application environment. While most have APIs, bidirectional communication can become a frankly complex project to plan and execute.
Faced with this scenario, organizations need solutions capable of performing this integration in a simple, flexible, scalable, and secure manner.
Communication Hub: Advantages that Sound like Competitive Leadership.
Forget about custom developments that hinder medium- to long-term growth: standardize the exchange of OT/IT information using a simple, flexible, and scalable market solution, and allow different automation systems to communicate with each other in the same language.
Connectivity strategy for your facilities
With the implementation of new equipment and applications, industrial facilities or infrastructures are constantly changing. Therefore, collecting and using operations data in a consistent manner without significantly modifying connectivity architectures is a challenge.
Reactive or unique strategies, such as custom-made internal solutions, connectivity alternatives to unlock access to proprietary equipment, or collecting data from obsolete equipment, may solve minor setbacks in the short term, but also cause major problems in the long run.
Thus, defining a correct connectivity strategy with an eye on the future is the first step towards a secure, scalable, and future-ready installation. Considering the major challenges at the connectivity level, and how they are addressed, makes a big difference when setting an appropriate long-term plan.
Security as a fundamental piece.
Plant data (OT) in business systems (IT) is increasingly necessary to obtain information on operations. Although efforts are focused on facilitating this IT/OT exchange, it is also important to consider how equipment is accessed without posing a risk.
Security is not something that can be reinforced at the end of the process, but must be a fundamental and integrated part of the design of hardware, software, and industrial control systems.
With the right technology and approach, data communication between IT/OT can be as secure as the local systems of yesteryear.
Therefore, security is an element to take into account during the integration of the different equipment or systems. Moreover, it must become another part of the process, adhering to the design of each component as it is built, as well as when these components are joined to other systems. It is necessary to define which elements need to have access to the equipment and/or systems, in order to address the security of communications in the most appropriate way. Some methods to achieve this are:
- Use secure protocols such as MQTT, OPC UA, etc.
- Perform communication tunnels that allow integrating plant data without opening ports in the firewalls.
- Establish communications based on certificates and user authentication.
Ebooks and related products:
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