Industrial IoT: Everything you need to know in 2024

The Internet of Things is in a period of exponential expansion, with a compound annual growth rate of just under 24%. The Industrial IoT market itself is expected to triple to $36.6 billion within the next 12 months.

Equipment connectivity offers a range of industry-specific support, in addition to pan-industrial applications such as:

• Quality control
• Sustainability practices
• Supply chain tracking and efficiency
• Predictive maintenance
• Energy management
• Asset tracking
• Etc.

Organizations across most vertical markets can benefit from the implementation of a smart IIoT solution. For example, IIoT can be used to enhance patient monitoring in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. It can also track available spaces within public parking garages. IIoT can even monitor soil health and make real-time watering recommendations for large-scale agricultural crops. The possibilities are endless.

How does IIoT work?

IIoT allows for communications to flow between industrial machinery and human (or automated) controllers. This communication involves 4 architectural layers from one end to the other:

• Edge
• Communications
• Processing
• Applications

Devices in the Edge layer receive data in real-time from industrial equipment. This data is then transmitted via the Communication layer to the Processing layer, where advanced analytical tools convert data into actionable insights. These insights are delivered either to human-operated dashboards or automated controllers, which make up the Application layer.

Automatic systems or human technicians may then send instructions back to the originating equipment, or to other relevant systems depending on the task.

Who uses IIoT?

While IIoT can support and be supported by automated processes, applied IIoT is largely implemented and accessed by skilled members of the workforce across verticals. Here are a few examples of how specific individuals and teams may use IIoT on a daily basis.

Individuals

Especially in hybrid work environments, remote employees can access IIoT reliably to fulfill a number of distanced responsibilities, such as inventory tracking, maintenance alerts, IT tickets, etc.

DevOps

Engineers and other DevOps professionals are responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the networking software which connects critical devices to the cloud and each other. IIoT enables a more effective, stable, and secure flow of information between devices.

IT Teams

Members of IT work to maintain broad networking capabilities within corporate settings. IIoT makes it easier to incorporate all of a company's assets into a single, secure network.

Security officers may additionally work with IT to build better cybersecurity for their company using IIoT.

Manufacturing Ops

Modern manufacturing operations often involve many distinct devices which are all connected to the same network. Ops directors and other manufacturing professionals rely on a secure connection between devices to monitor progress and act quickly if a piece of equipment needs to be fixed. IIoT facilitates seamless connectivity between related but different equipment. It also allows for operation of equipment across multiple facilities.

Challenges with IIoT Architecture

94% of businesses surveyed are already in some stage of adopting an IoT solution. However, nearly a third of those organizations are struggling with implementation, revealing a number of gaps and pitfalls in legacy solutions. Some of the top challenges listed by those struggling included:

• Incompatibility between devices and systems. One enduring problem is that legacy providers have created solutions which are bolted to legacy infrastructure. Replacing these outdated solutions can be challenging due to vendor lock-in or hardware contracts.
• Fragile connectivity. Connecting IIoT devices across a traditional landscape of disparate networks means that connectivity may be unreliable and require intensive monitoring and maintenance.
• Budget constraints. The initial costs of implementing IIoT solutions can be extremely high, between hardware, software, and personnel training. This becomes even more expensive if and when companies need to replace incompatible equipment to make the system work.
• Problems with scalability. The difficulties posed by device/system incompatibility, budget, etc. are reflected exponentially at scale, and the implementation of IIoT can become a limiting factor during periods of growth.
• Security concerns. Cobbling together complex solutions to build connections between incompatible devices and systems increases the attack surface and leaves gaps that can cause other digital security problems.

Solving IIoT Challenges

One common thread between many of these challenges is issues with connectivity and networking. New networking and IIoT solutions can mitigate these issues and deliver the following advantages:

• Better connection between widespread machinery. New virtual ethernet mechanisms can create direct connections between geographically-distributed devices to improve and secure the flow of data. This type of connection is also more reliable, meaning teams will spend less time monitoring and maintaining the system.
• Cost-effective implementation. Zero-hardware solutions dramatically reduce the expense of implementation both up-front and over time. A software-only program integrates easily with existing infrastructure. A centralized view of all of the devices on a network in one place cuts down on personnel training expenditure by minimizing human involvement and by unifying device monitoring.
• System/infrastructure bridging. Modern solutions let network admins connect devices directly to each other, as though the devices were in the same office on the same network. This eliminates the need to manually set up complex systems across fragmented networks. A direct, two-way connection eliminates this problem, and allows users to easily and securely send and collect data between devices.
• Scalable architecture. Adaptable bridges for failsafe connectivity allow companies to grow operations and add new sites with minimal risk. Network overlay solutions offering self-healing network structures can maintain connectivity between devices on multiple different networks, by creating a bridge to traverse various firewalls, configurations, and Internet service providers. These advanced solutions can also seamlessly forward traffic, even when IIoT devices change what internet connection they are using due to failover or relocation.
• Top-tier security. Direct connections do not require cloud routing, which protects privacy. Robust authentication protocols ensure only trusted devices can connect, while multi-device compatibility minimizes system vulnerabilities. And high-level end-to-end encryption adds another layer of security, making IIoT safer than ever before.

IIoT best practices

In 2024, IIoT is having a greater impact on global industries than ever before. So let’s take a look at a few steps you can take to make it work for your organization, whatever your vertical.

Establish comprehensive goals. Understanding your IIoT needs will help you to select and implement the correct solution for your needs within your industry and organization.

What pain points are you mitigating within your operations? What enhancements are you hoping to make to your day-to-day functions? Setting objectives will help you to start down the right path.

Bridge the gap between IT and Ops. Outdated solutions often disallow cohesive system access by both IT professionals and on-the-ground Ops, leading to slowed communications between the teams and sometimes competing priorities.

Segmented networks allow for simultaneous access to the same equipment, so IT and Ops can do their work side-by-side and without tripping over one another. This approach relieves tension between the two parties and gets everyone on the same page.

Invest in scalable architecture. Your IIoT capabilities should unlock growth for your business, not act as a bottleneck. This is often one of the problems with legacy solutions that were built before modern IIoT. These can be dependent on limited, expensive infrastructure requiring time-intensive manual set-up. This makes legacy solutions untenable for a growth-oriented organization.

Instead, make sure the solution you are using is flexible enough to grow with you as your operations expand.

Take a device-centered approach. Many of the newer IIoT networking solutions are optimized for VPN use-cases, often for individual end-users. Integrating userless devices may require a separate authentication process, which introduces friction in industrial applications where both human and automated devices are working in tandem. These companies may also charge per-user, making implementation extremely expensive for large-scale operations.

Consider adopting a solution that instead offers device-centric deployment, allowing for more seamless integration between automated and human-operated processes.

Make global networking simple

Revolutions of all kinds come with no shortage of growing pains, including Industry 4.0. The IIoT impact on global business is a forward-moving thing, with no signs of slowing. And organizations that are willing to modernize their systems and overcome the pitfalls of outdated IIoT solutions will benefit from the possibilities revealed by a more contemporary approach to IIoT.

ZeroTier has created a secure, flexible, and user-friendly application for users at all levels – from individuals to large-scale manufacturers. By offering direct connections through a protected network overlay, ZeroTier brings simplicity to connectivity. ZeroTier securely connects any device, anywhere so you can spend less time configuring your IIoT system, and more time collecting the advantages it offers.

Get started with ZeroTier today.