IT-OT Collaboration is on the rise, for decades OT and IT worked independently and performed their respective roles to ensure business outcomes are achieved. Most industries have developed and managed OT and IT as separate technology stacks, protocols, standards, governance models, and organizational units. As companies use digital industrial technology, the collaboration between roles is crucial among IT and OT.

The Changing Landscape

Operational technologies (OT) include those technologies that involve the physical world or the world of atoms. OT comprises of sensors, devices, machines, control systems and related software necessary to configure, control and monitor industrial assets. On the other hand, information technology (IT) systems are those involving electrons, bits and bytes. IT combines technologies for networking, information processing, enterprise and cloud systems.

For decades, OT and IT teams have worked independently and performed their respective roles to ensure business outcomes are achieved. Most industries have developed and managed OT and IT as separate technology stacks, protocols, standards, governance models, and organizational units.

But the world is changing, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is here. The rise of digital transformation, specifically, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is forcing companies to rethink their traditional siloed approach across industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, public sector, transportation, utilities, and mining. There are a number of Industrial IoT use cases, such as remote connectivity and monitoring, predictive maintenance of machines, real-time visibility of assets, edge intelligence, etc. that can dramatically enhance operations and achieve capital efficiencies.

Successfully delivering these outcomes is a complex undertaking, that requires new strategies, skills, and technologies. This dynamic is bringing both OT and IT professionals to work together and collaborate. Trust, commitment, and respect are the foundations that can help them work through this change.

Cisco is positioned and trusted by IT and working with OT for decades. To read more, download IT-OT Collaboration in the Age of Industrial IoT