Reader poll: Where do you stand on IT and OT convergence?

Our new poll takes on what is becoming an increasingly important task for manufacturers that want to modernize: IT and OT convergence.

By connecting factory floors, smart sensors, and physical machinery to digital networks, businesses can gain real-time analytics to boost operational efficiency, optimize energy use, and predict equipment failures.

See also: Why IT/OT initiatives fail when executive engagement stops at sponsorship

However, historically, these two systems have operated in total isolation from one another. Convergence breaks down these silos, offering major advantages such as:

• Predictive maintenance: IoT sensors can monitor a machine's temperature or vibration in real-time, alerting teams to potential breakdowns before they cause costly downtime.
• Data-driven decisions: Merging physical operations with business data allows companies to optimize resource usage and dynamically adjust production schedules.
• Automation: Systems can autonomously make adjustments to optimize output, manage building environments, or re-route power during outages.

But convergence also opens up your systems to major security challenges. Connecting physical equipment to the internet and other networks creates a major security concern—often referred to as an expanded attack surface.

E-handbook: Cybersecurity

Because OT systems were originally designed to be physically isolated and quite often rely on older, safety-critical architecture, integrating them with IT networks exposes them to potential remote access vulnerabilities, credential abuse, and cyberattacks.

So where does your organization stand on this? Please take our simple poll!