Complementary expertise in operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) has brought Siemens and Aruba into a strategic partnership for next-generation integrated networks.
A joint announcement from the two companies said that digitalization, Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are raising new challenges because now data increasingly must traverse the boundary separating OT and IT.
Industrial OT networks, for instance, are not coupled tightly with enterprise IT networks.
“This results in gaps in data and device visibility, application assurance, availability, and security. Bridging that divide requires deep expertise in both worlds and knowledge of the respective operational and security requirements,” the statement noted.
The partners envision solutions that include wired and wireless networking products and related software.
This would leverage Siemens’ expertise in industrial Ethernet network components and Aruba’s lead in wired and wireless LAN Infrastructure.
For example, Aruba's 360 Secure Fabric for IT networks can be combined with Siemens' "Defense in Depth" OT security concept. In fact, food and beverage giant Heineken now rely on an integrated OT/IT solution from Aruba and Siemens for its Heineken Nederland Supply Brewery's-Hertogenbosch.
"To run efficiently and stave off cybersecurity threats we need uniform visibility and security across our OT and IT," said Henk van den Scheun, Manager Engineering.
Keerti Melkote, President and Co-Founder at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, disclosed that the two companies have been working together for nearly three years,
“The resulting solutions are ideal for a variety of industrial applications, and are backed by both Siemens' and Aruba's support teams," he said.
Klaus Helmrich, a member of the Management Board at Siemens AG, meanwhile, said that the cooperation is an important step to complement industrial networks offering.
