As the IIoT continues its widespread adoption, a lot of new IT technologies are quickly being adopted by the industrial automation and process control industries. More and more, industrial assets are becoming Internet enabled and being connected to other digital systems.

Monitoring OEE and KPIs in real time from a mobile device is no longer a pie-in-the-sky application. It’s happening right now, through the convergence of OT and IT.

One of the technologies that’s enabling the IIoT is secure digital communication. And to establish that secure communication, you need to have an authority you can trust that can validate the indentity of devices on a network and on the Internet. You have to trust that the encrypted connection you're using is actually connected to the device you want to talk to, and not to some rogue node trying to breach your network and steal your information.

That’s where Certificate Authorities come into play in the IIoT.

Topics: Process control, Internet of Things, IoT, PACs, Security, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

In a previous post we introduced JavaScript and discussed its widespread adoption as a result of its interoperability between web applications, particularly browsers.

In this post we’re going to tackle some ideas related to why JavaScript is poised to literally take over the Industrial Internet of Things as the software language of choice for IIoT developers.

We’ll also discuss why, if you’re an industrial automation engineer starting to think about the IIoT, it might be a good idea to brush up on your JavaScript skills.

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, PACs, RESTful server, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is coming at us fast. Big players like Dell, IBM, and Amazon are entering industrial markets and creating disruption among the typical market vendors. And with these new players comes a variety of technologies that are being applied in new and interesting ways to build the IIoT.

Over the next several blog posts, we’ll be discussing the top 5 software technologies and languages that systems integrators and automation engineers should begin learning about to be ready to build Industrial Internet of Things applications. Sign up for the blog to get access to followup blog posts as they’re released.

Topics: IoT, API, REST API, IIoT

If you're using Node-RED and the nodes for SNAP PACs and groov—or if you're thinking about it but haven't started—check out our new Node-RED examples on developer.opto22.com. 

Node-RED is the open-source tool for digitally wiring together hardware devices, cloud services, databases, and more in simple logical flows.

Topics: groov, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, Node-RED, OptoNews 2017-03-29

Have you tried AT&T's Internet of Things (IoT) platform, M2X? 

If you're looking at IoT platforms, you'll want to see this new technical note. It shows you how to get real-world data, in this example a temperature in degrees F, to an AT&T M2X device in the cloud.

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, PACs, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, Node-RED, Data acquisition, OptoNews 2017-03-29

In a previous blog post we covered what ransomware is and how it’s being used to target industrial users like water and wastewater SCADA systems.

Ransomware is basically when a hacker obtains control of your data, or even your control network and automation systems, and won’t relinquish control back to you until a ransom is paid.

It's a major potential threat against IIoT applications.

Topics: PACs, Security, IIoT

Most people relate the term blockchain to an Internet currency or peer-to-peer payment system called Bitcoin.

But there’s way more value to blockchain technology than just a payment system.

And it just might help us solve a lot of problems related to industrial cyber security, particularly in Industrial Internet of Things applications.

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, PACs, Security, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things

What could cognitive computing do for you?

Cognitive computing involves analyzing huge quantities of data and spotting correlations and patterns that are valuable—similar to what a human brain can do. But computers can analyze lots more data, much faster. 

Topics: Process control, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, Integrators, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, Data acquisition, OptoNews 2017-03-15

The next industrial revolution, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is happening now.

In March 2016, a Gartner survey reported that 43% of organizations were already using or planned to implement IIoT applications during the year.

But it's not necessarily easy. There are still challenges to be met and a lot of decisions to be made as you move ahead. 

Topics: Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2017-03-15

Sure, the industrial Internet of Things sounds cool. Real cool, in fact. But how do you do it and where do you get started?

For a self-proclaimed technology geek like myself, the industrial Internet of things (IIoT) is a pretty exciting topic. I wasn’t exactly born digital (individuals who have grown up with the current state of ubiquitous computing and communications).

Topics: IoT, PACs, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things