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Debunking Myths Associated With Industrial Internet of Things
Embedded Advisor | Thursday, January 10, 2019
Industry 4.0 or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the transforming age of the manufacturing industry. The concept of a connected device has evolved from machine-to-machine to Internet of Things (IoT) and reached new heights. Manufacturers see great potential and future of the industry in IIoT but there prevail some myths that restrict them to optimize the technology.
Automation is a Threat to Humans
Since its existence, humans have strived to automate their jobs for easy and no labor life and when it’s almost here, they see it as a threat to themselves. Many believe that smart machines would replace humans in the manufacturing industry. It is anticipated that by the end of the next decade a major fraction of workers would lose their jobs to machines, especially in the manufacturing lines. This might be the reality but definitely does not mean that automation would put a stop to humans in the factory. In fact, a shift of workers will be observed where manpower will be put for strategic jobs instead of tedious and mundane ones. Monitoring and maintenance of machines, developing new software, deploying new technologies, and analytics would be some of the areas of work for humans.
Hardware Update Requires Hefty Investment
At times, manufacturers assume that to update their factory, they need to the upheaval of old units and install new ones which would require a huge investment. Smart manufacturing requires updated hardware to support but does not mean that old hardware units have gone obsolete. The key personnel from the business must audit the available assets and requirements of the market, and accordingly, they must update their factories. Not all technology fits each business requirement, a proper review and analysis would allow manufacturers to spend optimally.
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Smart Factories Compromise with Security
IIoT creates an ecosystem of connected devices exchanging information without human intervention over the cloud. This concerns most industrialists, as they believe, that incorporating IIoT would make their business more vulnerable to cyber threats. To some extent, it seems true as the exchange takes place in a centralized system which makes it easy for hackers to get their hands on data. But the same can be prevented by providing proper training to staff about cybersecurity, storing sensitive data in a separate server from IIoT one, and installing IoT devices that come with security layers and patches.
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