Capturing and controlling reliable production line data is the great mystery underlying the fulfillment of the promise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Beyond storage solutions, the data that’s available on machines hasn’t been communicated correctly with business systems. Accepted solutions for data exchange create organizational conflicts and security issues that raise difficult barriers.

Security concerns about exchanging data are shared by operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) departments, but they are different in nature. Replacing industrial PCs on the production line with an MES gateway appliance provides the end-to-end security necessary for both OT and IT approval. By isolating OT and IT systems, rather than converging them, an MES gateway appliance provides the production line data exchange that manufacturers have been wanting for so long.