From Telit: "Five Tips for Finding the Best OT Integration Specialist"

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) is gaining momentum, as companies in every industry create more connected, intelligent environments.

Although the focus is often on the power of connection, the real value of IIoT lies in the rich data analytics that mine those connections to produce actionable insights. An effective IIoT solution smoothly integrates information technology (IT) with operational technology (OT) to make data analysis possible.

Bringing these two worlds together isn’t easy.

IT systems such as computers, storage, big data analytics and other applications are designed to manage and optimize data. But it’s up to OT to deliver the data needed to support faster, better decisions, and these systems aren’t easy to network.

In the complex world of IIoT, an experienced OT integration specialist knows what to look for when drilling into those details. 

The key to building a successful IIoT solution is to work with an OT integration specialist who is an expert on device connection and management.

Choose a partner with the following attributes.

1. In-depth technology expertise

Industrial IoT environments are composed of a complex mix of devices and sensors. A manufacturing environment might include everything from optical, pressure, temperature, humidity, and inertia sensors to RFID tags, robots, and other devices. 

The volume of connected devices is growing fast. Gartner predicts that 20.4 billion IoT devices will be in use worldwide by 2020. 

The OT integration specialist you choose will need a comprehensive understanding of the latest hardware and sensor technology for your industry.

2. Data communication know-how

IIoT deployments use not only a huge variety of devices and sensors, but also multiple communication technologies.

Your partner should be able to match specific data communication technologies and protocols with your sensor needs. It’s up to them to smoothly integrate your OT environment with any IT back-end systems.

They should be able to provide strategic advice on guaranteed versus best-effort delivery, failover connections, and cost and geographic considerations.

3. Accelerated setup and management skills

Business agility is critical in an environment of digital disruption. 

That means your OT integration specialist must understand everything that’s required to configure elements—fast—from provisioning hardware to configuring users and sites, to flexible options for hosting on any cloud environment.

To keep your solution up and running smoothly, this strategic partner will also need to design solutions for remote support and monitoring.

4. Proven experience

You’ll want an OT integration specialist with real-world, proven experience when you’re digging into the details of your deployment.

Choose an integration specialist that brings multiple years of experience in IIoT solutions.

The partner you go with should have a proven track record for building large-scale IoT solutions, plus experience in your industry’s specific needs.

5. Support from a team

No single integrator can do it all.

Choose an OT integration specialist backed by an extensive ecosystem of well-known partners.

Your partner should also be independent—not a supplier of a specific class of OT assets, such as the factory machines that you are connecting in your IT environment.

An experienced OT integration specialist like Telit delivers the capabilities you need to bring your IIoT vision to life.

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