Gone are the days when the control system engineer—"you know, the instrumentation guy, the DCS guy, the PLC and HMI guy"—can handle what needs to be done in automation, says Steve Malyszko, P.E. 

Malyszko's recent article in Automation World says the old skills just won't be enough anymore.

With companies looking for actionable data from the plant floor, an evolved breed of engineer is required.

Ethernet networks, virtualized machines, mobile app integration, security requirements, and so much more in today's control systems seem to demand a new look at the skills control engineers need now and for the future. Malyszko calls the person with this new expanded skill set an Operations Technology (OT) engineer. 

What do you think? Are you seeing the same kinds of real-world situations Malyszko describes in his article? Are you learning new skills or looking to hire engineers with different skills? How is the job changing where you are? Read the article.

Steve Malyszko is President of OptoPartner Malisko Engineering, Inc. and a member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA).