Bridging the digital divide with cloud computing

No other industry has suffered as much as manufacturing and industrial in the last two years, owing to a variety of circumstances. Despite adapting to changing technologies, the sector has had slow but steady growth. Nonetheless, the technologies deployed are ground-breaking, giving some vital sectors a new lease on life.

Cloud computing and big data have propelled businesses into the next decade while also preparing them for potential shocks. Sudheesh Narayanan, Founder and President of UnifyTwin, is our guest. He gives his take on the current push for technical solutions and how they are affecting businesses across industries.

Manufacturing that is both sustainable and predictable is critical. How important will sustainability be in the coming decade?

The demand for industrial automation solutions that deliver a connected and digitized factory experience is emerging across industries as we move towards Industry 5.0. Such solutions must leverage Machine Data while contextualizing human intelligence to create predictable, ultra- efficient operations that eliminate digital blind spots and produce smarter manufacturing operations. It is also essential that businesses are aligned with sustainability goals that can contribute effectively to people, processes, and business ideologies. The capability to effectively track the source of carbon footprint along with an accurate forecasting model to achieve NetZero goals is one of the critical capabilities every business leader should focus on in the coming decade.

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly important, and COVID has been a game changer. How has cloud computing evolved over time?

Cloud computing has transformed businesses and fast-tracked diverse sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, fintech, automation, retail, electronics, energy, among others. I believe that the emergence of COVID-19 has uncovered a digital divide between the companies that have already invested in Cloud computing and digital transformation goals, and those that did not. 

There is significant traction in industries adopting Cloud-based solutions by gearing towards digitized logs within the shop floor, bringing in centralized visibility of the entire plant operations, and increasing focus on deploying AI-based solutions on edge to enhance quality efficiency and productivity. 

How have businesses adapted to cloud technology, and what have been the pitfalls and successes in rapid adoption across industries?

While several businesses have adopted Cloud technologies, the gap between theory and implementation is still massive. Each client has its unique challenges that a solution provider needs to address throughout the project life cycle, as opposed to just focusing on quick-fix transformations. The key lies in eliminating the challenges and enhancing the benefits via a detailed technology adoption roadmap that incorporates the core capabilities of Cloud, Big Data and AI technologies. 

The majority of modern workplaces and inventions are based on cloud technology. What are cloud computing’s future challenges and opportunities?

Every Cloud Computing scenario throws up a unique challenge; we have seen how clients may want to solve a challenge by employing Cloud & Big Data solutions, with very little historical data capture that has been done on the challenge. 

Another challenge faced by business teams is to trust and adopt a Data Science output to be implemented in the business process. Model governance and model management continue to remain a challenge for businesses looking to scale and digitize their operations. 

The opportunity lies in envisioning a clear business value with well-defined directions and timelines. Our solution framework starts with enabling business value realization and implementing an agile approach to incrementally build value, rather than a big bang approach. The expert team strikes a fine balance of both technology and domain expertise to realize business outcomes. 

Data is the new oil, and few understand its significance. It is essential to the smooth operation of any business. What should businesses do to ensure the safety and storage of data in the future?

Data Science is fast becoming the backbone of every industry. It is crucial that enterprises derive insights from their key data assets. Data Science teams must work in unison with business leaders to harness the power of data and enable this to become their competitive differentiator. 

While enterprises integrate their business operations using data and analytics, they must also ensure protection of critical assets and production infrastructures. In terms of IT-OT Security, one of the key advancements we have made is the use of Data Diodes to provide unidirectional flow of data, which is a reliable and secure mechanism to protect data and systems from external attacks. 

As huge volumes of data become more interconnected/smart, the potential threat to SCADA and industrial control systems also rises. Our priority has always been to digitally empower enterprises and simplify their transition to Industry 5.0, while ensuring the protection of necessary infrastructures. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

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