Three IoT trends to watch this month

The world of IoT continues to grow as our more than 70,000 customers take their deployments to the next level. Whether or not you are attending Cisco Live in Barcelona on January 27th – 30th, you will want to tune in. Cisco will be making a lot of announcements, and addressing these three IoT trends.

1. The network is the foundation for both IT and OT environments, but a multi-domain architecture is key

While the network has always been the backbone for IT, it has quickly become the foundation for operational technology (OT) environments as well. OT needs data to help them improve customer experiences, enhance safety, increase efficiencies, and reduce costs. There is no better way to achieve these results than by mining data from key assets such as a machine on a factory floor, a fleet of service vehicles, or a remote pipe line. And this is where the importance of the network expands from IT into OT environments. To get the data that OT needs, assets must securely connect to a reliable network.  And with the amount of devices being connected, not just any network will do. Only Cisco is providing a true multi-domain architecture bringing common visibility and management across all domains – including the OT domain – making IoT projects easier to scale.  Look for how we are bringing bigger value to this network in the upcoming weeks.

2. Edge compute and getting the most value out of your data

Edge compute is creating a new set of use cases and business models by allowing data to be accessed and processed at the edge – without ever traversing the WAN. It allows organizations to deploy real-time applications anywhere – even on the side of the road where every second counts to ensure pedestrian and driver safety. Edge is a critical part of our IoT strategy as we work to bring the power of the enterprise to edge environments. It is integrated with our network so applications are easier to manage and deploy. As 5G and other innovation accelerators enter the market, Cisco is ready with edge computing solutions wherever they are needed, even harsh and remote environments.

As part of this, we will talk about the challenges around harnessing the data that will bring your business to the next level.  Does your organization have data deluge? Or a data drought? Do you know who has access to your data and who doesn’t? Getting the right data to the right person at the right time can be critical to saving lives, edging out the competition, or reducing downtime. The key to doing this is Cisco IoT solutions. We will discuss how Cisco can help organizations tackle the data challenge including its collection, transformation and delivery so that you can make sense of it all.

3. Security at the edge is more critical than ever, and IT and OT need to work together for its success

As millions of devices come online in operational environments, the cyber security risks grow exponentially. So, as the network becomes more distributed to connect these industrial environments, the security must become distributed too. In factories, for example, machine controllers are now smarter. They have their own software and CPU helping create more agile manufacturing environments. But, the combination of their intelligence and their network connectivity, is also making them more vulnerable to attacks. We will address how organizations can more easily secure these OT environments at scale.

Also, we touch on the importance of IT and OT working together. In order to implement security properly, a very diverse skillset is required – a skillset that only IT and OT together, can provide. IT understands how to secure networks, while OT are experts at optimizing their processes. Bringing together the knowledge of the network and security with the knowledge of the business and its process is critical for success. In the upcoming weeks, stay tuned as to how organizations can do this all successfully with Cisco.