IIoT & Digital Transformation Blog

Edge Computing Enables Industrial AI Without Compromising OT Integrity

Jim Cahill — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:34:35 GMT

Why this matters now Many industrial organizations are at an operational inflection point. A global, highly competitive marketplace demands greater efficiency and optimization, yet many of the most powerful analytical and AI-driven tools live in the cloud. Operational technology (OT) environments have historically resisted cloud connectivity to ensure security, determinism, and protection of intellectual property. […]

The post Edge Computing Enables Industrial AI Without Compromising OT Integrity appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

Successful IIoT Starts with the End Goal, Not the Technology

Jim Cahill — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:37 GMT

Why this matters now In today’s increasingly connected world of industrial manufacturing, IIoT options abound. Yet while having options is a good thing, too many options can make it difficult to identify the right technologies to meet an organization’s unique circumstances. As Manish Sharma explores in a recent article in Control, organizations must first align […]

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How Industrial AI and Data Orchestration Are Redefining Operational Excellence

Jim Cahill — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:31:48 GMT

Why this matters now In modern process manufacturing, the definition of operational excellence has fundamentally changed. Organizations are no longer responsible for optimizing a single facility; instead, many operate expansive enterprises spanning multiple sites and regions, all of which must work in concert to remain competitive. As a result, teams are expected to improve efficiency, […]

The post How Industrial AI and Data Orchestration Are Redefining Operational Excellence appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

Modern Reliability Requires a Unified Data Fabric

Jim Cahill — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:16 GMT

Why this matters now Modern manufacturing organizations have invested heavily in sensing technologies and reliability software to improve visibility into plant operations. While these tools have delivered value, they have also introduced new challenges when deployed in isolation across the enterprise. As Emerson experts Doug Cooper and David Kapolnek explain in their recent article in […]

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How Automation Helps Life Sciences Manufacturers Deliver Faster, Safer Therapies

Jim Cahill — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:01:39 GMT

Why this matters now The last few decades of biopharmaceutical research have seen an explosion in new therapies, many of which treat illnesses once thought impossible to manage. As innovation continues at an unprecedented pace, life sciences manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver new drugs and vaccines faster than ever without compromising safety and […]

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AI Orchestration Is Shaping the Future of Process Manufacturing

Jim Cahill — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:44:57 GMT

Why this matters now Artificial intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace, transforming how organizations across industries access and leverage data. However, in operational technology (OT) environments, this evolution must be carefully managed to maintain safety, reliability, and deterministic control. Emerson’s AI and automation experts Claudio Fayad and Sean Saul explore this challenge in a […]

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A Digital Strategy for Scaling Up Green Hydrogen

Jim Cahill — Wed, 27 May 2026 14:16:12 GMT

TL;DR Effective digital platforms are essential to green hydrogen production projects. Flexible automation supports changing design requirements and project scaling. Emerson’s industrial automation architecture provides dependable performance, the ability to support native C programming, and protection of intellectual property. Effective HMI/SCADA delivers unified visualization, alarms, and analytics to optimize hydrogen production. Tightly integrated automation and […]

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How Industrial AI and Edge Intelligence Enable Smarter, Faster Operations

Jim Cahill — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:40:04 GMT

Why this matters now Retirements, skill gaps, sustainability mandates, and global competition are reshaping modern manufacturing. While many of these challenges were anticipated years ago, early digital transformation efforts often left teams with more data—but not better decisions. As Amy Schantz, an automation expert with decades of cross-industry experience, explains in her recent article in […]

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How OPC UA and MQTT Are Preparing Industrial Data for AI

Jim Cahill — Thu, 21 May 2026 12:35:35 GMT

Why this matters now We all know data is king. The entire purpose of the digital transformation initiatives of the last decade or two were laser focused on getting critical data out of the field and into the hands of personnel and systems that could make use of it. However, in those years of collecting […]

The post How OPC UA and MQTT Are Preparing Industrial Data for AI appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

Mobile Diagnostics for the Intelligent Field: Fast, Accurate Insight for Maintenance, Instrumentation, and Valve Workflows

Jim Cahill — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:54:27 GMT

For more than 25 years, Bluetooth® technology has helped create a better world through openness and connection. While most people know Bluetooth technology from the devices in their pockets, the technology has quietly become a cornerstone of industrial transformation—powering safer workflows, smarter maintenance, and more efficient operations across plants, factories, and production networks. Today, Emerson […]

The post Mobile Diagnostics for the Intelligent Field: Fast, Accurate Insight for Maintenance, Instrumentation, and Valve Workflows appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

How Edge Platforms Are Bridging the IT/OT Gap for AI-Enabled Operations

Jim Cahill — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:16:00 GMT

Why this matters now The days of automation systems being completely isolated from the outside world are long gone. While some assets may remain air-gapped, most critical OT systems increasingly require connectivity to external systems to remain competitive. The rise of AI has only accelerated this shift, as organizations look for safe ways to move […]

The post How Edge Platforms Are Bridging the IT/OT Gap for AI-Enabled Operations appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

Keeping Hydrogen Moving: Secure, Integrated Pipelines for the H₂ Value Chain

Jim Cahill — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:55:57 GMT

Why this matters now As detailed in their recent article in H2Tech, Emerson’s Martin Johnson and Phani Kanakamedala, recognized industry experts, explain that interest in hydrogen is accelerating—and that keeping H₂ moving from producers to users requires security, reliability, and end-to-end integration across retrofit and greenfield pipelines. Cybersecurity is now central to pipeline operations; guidance […]

The post Keeping Hydrogen Moving: Secure, Integrated Pipelines for the H₂ Value Chain appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.

How Microgrids Help Refineries Stay Powered in an Electrified World

Jim Cahill — Thu, 07 May 2026 12:29:35 GMT

Why this matters now Refining depends on a continuous, reliable source of power. The sites operate 24x7x365, and if a utility is unable to supply adequate power, the facility might be down for weeks as they deal with equipment damage and safely bringing systems back online. However, reliable power has become more challenging to come […]

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Breaking the Plateau: How Enterprise Engineering Software Unlocks Fleetwide Optimization

Jim Cahill — Tue, 05 May 2026 12:42:06 GMT

Why this matters now As explored in his recent article in Hydrocarbon Engineering magazine, Emerson’s Dave Denison—an expert with over 25 years in the automation industry—explains that many organizations are hitting diminishing returns from plant‑level digital transformation. While individual sites have improved safety, output, and efficiency, enterprise‑wide performance often plateaus due to inconsistent practices and […]

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When AI Understands the Plant: Why Industrial AI Needs Guardrails

Jim Cahill — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:19:18 GMT

Why this matters now One of the consequences of a vast improvement in the capability and affordability of sensing devices over the last few years has been a significantly increased risk of overwhelming operational technology (OT) teams with too much data. Data is incredibly powerful, but the more that comes in, the more effort it […]

The post When AI Understands the Plant: Why Industrial AI Needs Guardrails appeared first on the Emerson Automation Experts blog.