As far as the future of manufacturing goes, it is largely believed that we are on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution; one which promises to marry the worlds of production and network connectivity in an ‘internet of things’. When this happens manufacturers will rely entirely on network connectivity and infrastructure to keep the production line moving, which among many other capabilities will result in higher profit margins due to reduced manufacturing costs.
Though like all engines, ‘smart’ machines and systems don’t run from nothing.
As we move further into the fourth industrial revolution, with some of its capabilities already apparent, the availability of networks and infrastructure, and security and protection of these ‘online’ assets will become critical to daily operations.
And with many Australian manufacturers still battling with overseas competitors and against the high Australian dollar, the immediate need to reduce costs and errors in production is spearheading the push for increased reliability of failover solutions, with scalability of such solutions allowing businesses to also plan for the future.
This paper from Secure Agility looks at the future of the manufacturing industry in relation to predicted technology changes, the implications this may have on production, and what changes you can make to current network infrastucture to future proof your business, improve efficiencies, and reduce downtime.