Securing the Convergence: OT and IT Systems in the Modern Age
· Cybersecurity

Securing the Convergence: OT and IT Systems in the Modern Age

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) is reaching new heights. As the lines between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) blur, companies are unlocking new standards of visibility and efficiency. However, this trend also has a dark side that has become increasingly prominent amid rising cybercrime.The Need for Cybersecurity in IT/OT ConvergenceA worrying 80% […]

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From Pilots to Progress: How Manufacturers Can Scale MES and Industry 4.0 Initiatives the Right Way
· Hybrid Manufacturing

From Pilots to Progress: How Manufacturers Can Scale MES and Industry 4.0 Initiatives the Right Way

At the MES & Industry 4.0 event in Porto, Jeff Winter, VP of Business Strategy at Critical Manufacturing, outlined a practical roadmap for manufacturers ready to move beyond experimentation and into scalable transformation.Start with a Purpose-Built MVPRolling out MES across multiple sites doesn’t need to be slow or resource-draining. The key is starting with a Minimum […]

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Aligning People, Data, and Priorities: A Real-World Strategy for Scaling Digital Manufacturing
· Hybrid Manufacturing

Aligning People, Data, and Priorities: A Real-World Strategy for Scaling Digital Manufacturing

At the MES & Industry 4.0 Summit in Porto, May Yap, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Jabil, offered a clear message for manufacturers navigating global digital transformation: technology isn’t the hard part—alignment is.Across dozens of production sites and functions, the challenge isn’t just implementing tools like MES or AI; it’s coordinating them to […]

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Rethinking MES Architecture for the Age of AI and Edge Computing
· Hybrid Manufacturing

Rethinking MES Architecture for the Age of AI and Edge Computing

At the MES & Industry 4.0 Summit in Porto, Adélio Fernandes, VP of Engineering and Co-founder of Critical Manufacturing, shared forward-looking insights on how MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) must evolve to meet the needs of today’s data-intensive, AI-driven factories. His perspective highlights a shift from monolithic platforms to flexible, edge-ready architectures designed for speed, adaptability, […]

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The Cost of Bad Data: Why Time Series Integrity Matters More Than You Think
· Connected Industry

The Cost of Bad Data: Why Time Series Integrity Matters More Than You Think

Data plays a critical role in shaping operational decisions. From sensor streams in factories to API response times in cloud environments, organizations rely on time-stamped metrics to understand what’s happening and determine what to do next. But when that data is inaccurate or incomplete, systems make the wrong call. Teams waste time chasing false alerts, […]

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Subscription MES: A New Path to Digital Transformation
· Hybrid Manufacturing

Subscription MES: A New Path to Digital Transformation

What if deploying MES didn’t require a massive budget, a year-long integration plan, or buy-in from every corner of the enterprise? A growing number of manufacturers are shifting away from all-in-one MES rollouts and embracing a more agile approach—building their execution systems app by app, module by module, and scaling only what works. The result […]

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From Historical Data to Real-Time Action: Unlocking Industrial Intelligence
· Predictive Maintenance

From Historical Data to Real-Time Action: Unlocking Industrial Intelligence

Learn how integrating a time series database with your historian helps industrial teams detect issues faster, act in real-time, and build predictive strategies that reduce downtime.Modern industrial systems continuously generate time-stamped data from sensors, PLCs, SCADA systems, and other connected devices. Known as time series data, this information reflects how conditions change over time, tracking […]

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From Execution to Intelligence: Generative AI’s Role in the Future of MES
· Hybrid Manufacturing

From Execution to Intelligence: Generative AI’s Role in the Future of MES

At the second edition of the MES & Industry 4.0 International Summit in Porto, Portugal, Lucian Fogoros, Co-founder of IIoT World, spoke with Francisco Almada Lobo, CEO and Co-founder of Critical Manufacturing, about how generative AI is evolving the role of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)—from rule-based executors to intelligent, collaborative decision-support platforms.The conversation revealed more than future potential—it surfaced […]

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The Factory Floor Can’t Adapt Without This
· Discrete Manufacturing

The Factory Floor Can’t Adapt Without This

Manufacturers are under relentless pressure to adapt—fast. But while the demand for agility is everywhere, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Most factory floors still rely on outdated systems, fragmented data, and manual workarounds that leave them exposed to disruptions.The problem isn’t the lack of ambition. It’s the absence of a reliable […]

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What Generative AI Is Really Changing on the Factory Floor
· Discrete Manufacturing

What Generative AI Is Really Changing on the Factory Floor

Forget the hype. Generative AI isn’t replacing workers or designing entire factories — yet. But it is changing what happens on the factory floor, where complexity, variability, and labor shortages meet real-time decisions. From reducing assembly errors to preserving expertise before it walks out the door, generative AI is beginning to solve the gritty, everyday […]

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Why Edge-to-Cloud Data Symmetry Is the Foundation of Scalable Smart Manufacturing
· Hybrid Manufacturing

Why Edge-to-Cloud Data Symmetry Is the Foundation of Scalable Smart Manufacturing

As manufacturers accelerate their digital transformation journeys, the limitations of fragmented data environments are becoming more visible—and more costly. The promise of smart manufacturing hinges on one capability: enabling data to move seamlessly from the factory floor to the cloud and back without loss, latency, or complexity.This is where edge-to-cloud synchronization emerges not as an […]

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From Data to Insights: Turning Industrial Data into Actionable Intelligence
· Process Manufacturing

From Data to Insights: Turning Industrial Data into Actionable Intelligence

Modern industrial operations are redefining their relationship with data. No longer just a historical record, data now shapes real-time decisions and future outcomes. Systems across the factory floor continuously collect temperature, vibration, and motor speed readings through PLCs, IoT devices,  and SCADA platforms.But collecting data isn’t enough. The value lies in making it actionable—surfacing insights […]

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