A bridge between IT and operations is at the heart of the industrial IoT (Internet of Things). As organizations look to connect industrial assets of all types, operations teams have to handle new challenges, including deploying and managing assets at scale and scheduling and completing maintenance quickly and efficiently. IoT is a secure network of devices, sensors, and applications that work together to monitor and support industrial operations.
Industrial IoT is bringing our customers the capability to manage industrial operations remotely, which saves time and money while mitigating risk to the operations team. Two of Cisco’s IoT experts, Vikas Butaney, VP/GM, Engineering, Cisco, and Masum Mir, VP/GM, Engineering, Cisco, spoke at Cisco Live! 2022 about IoT use cases, what the operational teams need to be successful and how you can support them, and 5G’s role in strengthening the system.
As industrial IoT emerges as a safe ecosystem that increases efficiencies and reduces costs, it’s not just benefiting one industry; the IoT use cases prove that the network can add real value to a variety of organizations and agencies. From connecting manufacturing floors for increased uptime in the production environment to extending existing enterprise networks to outdoor cameras for enhanced security and surveillance, Butaney detailed four use cases where IoT successfully solved an operational issue and made the customer’s job more seamless.
Industrial IoT can even improve public safety and help first responders through traffic preemption. Traffic preemption, as Butaney explained, means that with IoT’s capabilities, an ambulance responding to an emergency can be, from a remote location, given a green corridor to reach the emergency location as quickly as possible.
This makes a difference in saving lives and benefits DoT customers, as the DoT is measured on fatalities per driven mile. In these cases, IT emerges as a value center and, combined with operational teams, IoT solves real-world, tangible problems.
Keeping any IoT running properly involves having a fast connection that ensures communication is immediate and of high quality. It’s not a coincidence that IoT and 5G have both become developed around the same time. 5G networks enable IoT networks to perform their full capabilities.
Mir described how 5G will augment the IoT in three key ways: digital asset tracking, digitizing public venues, and autonomous smart factories. Mir affirmed that 5G is going to begin to have a profound impact on operational teams as they navigate the digital transformation. It will not only accelerate digitization, but also enhance the enterprise through technology enhancements, a simplified and intuitive management system, and the ability to empower operational teams with IT.
What it comes down to, according to Butaney, is that “IoT in the real world—whether it’s in utilities, manufacturing, roadways, public sector environments—has really come of age and been used to solve the business outcomes.” IoT boosted by 5G can make agencies and organizations more efficient and effective.
But one thing to keep in mind: when our customers take advantage of an industrial IoT system, Butaney warns it’s important to always consider cybersecurity first “because when you bring these operational and IT environments together, you cannot create more business and risks for our customers.” IoT is a powerful tool that can transform industrial operations when our customers understand its capabilities and potential.
