Lately, industrial networking gross sales have skilled a exceptional surge, pushed by the convergence of a number of pivotal technological developments. A brand new ARC Advisory Group ARCView paper describes that the demand for sturdy and dependable networking options in industrial environments is greater than ever, and three key components are on the forefront of this progress: embedded safety, IT-OT integration, and synthetic intelligence (AI). You’ll be able to entry the ARC report right here.
At Cisco, we’ve been constructing industrial networking options which are intently aligned with these three core buyer calls for. We combine safety straight into our industrial community gadgets, with visibility, segmentation, and zero-trust distant entry constructed as software program features proper into our switches and routers. These community gadgets additionally facilitate seamless administration and information trade between IT and OT domains, powering a dependable, high-performing community that effectively collects and transports operational information to AI purposes in information facilities and the cloud.
What clients need
Within the ARCView paper, Chantal Polsonetti, Vice President, Advisory Companies at ARC, writes that organizations more and more view the community as a important enabler of the digital transformation mandatory for assembly mounting macroeconomic, aggressive, and regulatory challenges. In keeping with her, “OT cybersecurity is increasingly gaining the attention of CIOs as the industrial threat surface expands. The burgeoning market for AI-enabled applications and processes extending from the enterprise to operational environments is fueling even greater emphasis on networks as a core foundation for business success.”
The most recent Forrester WaveTM report supplies further assist for ARC’s viewpoint. Given the rise in gadgets and good OT initiatives, organizations are trying to find built-in options to bridge the hole between IT and OT safety. The report underscores the community as a significant part in streamlining detection, investigation, and safety throughout each domains.
“Industrial networks are vital strategic components for addressing today’s macroeconomic, competitive, and regulatory challenges. A converged approach that incorporates IT, OT, and security requirements for centralized management and visibility is necessary to ensure secure, resilient communications from the production environment throughout the enterprise.”
– Chantal Polsonetti, Vice President, Advisory Companies at ARC
The ARCView paper emphasizes how the three components will not be remoted, however organizations have to see the community as an extension of their cybersecurity infrastructure. Incorporating OT, IT, and safety priorities into the community tools itself eliminates the necessity for level merchandise, simplifies community’s deployment and administration, and helps remove gaps in protection.
Recognizing the community’s central function in industrial operations, the paper stresses that as operations are more and more focused with cyberthreats by the community, it is necessary for the community itself to have the ability to acknowledge and report such assaults. Making this level, the paper mentions, “Customers need to connect and protect their industrial assets with solutions that enable the convergence of networking and security, simplify and standardize network management, and leverage software capabilities to automate tasks and enhance visibility”.
Determine 1: Cisco views the economic community as the material to allow OT safety at scale
The paper notes that legacy methods, level options, and a number of administration methods create important operational complexity limiting scalability and growing safety vulnerabilities. Due to this fact, the paper suggests, “Industrial network standardization is the key to unlocking advanced software capabilities at scale, including automation, threat defense, network management, and new requirements for industrial AI use cases”, and that “Many current installations are made up of a patchwork of difficult-to-scale point-based solutions acquired individually over time to meet the needs of specific applications or processes”. The important thing to eradicating level options, thereby simplifying the structure and enhancing safety, is to embed safety features inside the community itself as software program purposes.
“Industrial network standardization is the key to unlocking advanced software capabilities at scale, including automation, threat defense, network management, and new requirements for AI use cases.”
– Chantal Polsonetti, Vice President, Advisory Companies at ARC
Organizations additionally acknowledge that IT/OT convergence achieved by the community can considerably enhance information move leading to enhanced operational effectivity and offering the muse for AI-driven innovation. The paper explains {that a} converged community should meet the necessities of IT, OT, in addition to safety groups. “Centralized management and visibility of security operations and unified visibility into IT and OT security events are essential for a converged approach, with customers increasingly leveraging IT-oriented approaches to this end”, the paper explains.
Cisco’s management and dedication
What struck me from this report is how comparable their findings are to our personal expertise at Cisco. We not too long ago surveyed over 1,000 professionals in 17 international locations working in 20 industrial sectors. We performed and revealed the 2024 State of Industrial Networking Report.
Constructing on 4 a long time of constructing modern options for enterprise networks, we’ve prolonged our management to industrial networks. Our deep understanding of connectivity, safety, and scalability permits us to convey enterprise-grade reliability and innovation to the economic sector, whereas nonetheless addressing the core wants of the business.
Our clients agree. In keeping with the report, over the previous decade, Cisco’s progress has outstripped that of the full Industrial Ethernet market. Our alignment with the evolving wants of the fashionable industrial setting ensures that our clients can obtain higher operational effectivity, safety, and innovation.
Determine 2: Cisco’s progress has outstripped that of the full IES market since 2014
(Supply: ARC Advisory Industrial Ethernet Switches Market Outlook)
Learn the total ARCView paper accessible for gratis. For extra info and to arrange a no-obligation free session with one in all our business consultants, please fill out our contact type and we can be in contact, or go to Cisco Industrial Switches.
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