The Engine Behind Productivity
On the one hand, there are some serious gains to be seen by integrating wireless devices into plant operations. These can be anything from the added safety measures offered by remote cutoffs, to improved efficiency and monitoring along the assembly cycle, to the huge cost savings compared with non-wireless systems.
"We really see software and controls as the engine behind a very significant need for enhanced productivity," says Bernie Angers, general manager of control and communication systems at GE Intelligent Platforms. "We look at our industrial control technology as a way of driving productivity and developing better control of technology."
| Jacob Kitchel: "The skill set of attackers has increased exponentially in the last five to six years." |
Peter Van Hoof, electrical controls engineer at Nestle Nutrition, has seen such efficiency benefits from the wireless network he uses. "The flexibility you have now to walk up to a piece of equipment and tune it on your laptop is just priceless. You see all of the data right there in front of you without even having to think about it," he says. "This saves a lot of time and a lot of money. I don't know how we would do it differently."
But the increased visibility and control comes with new risks. "It can be very easy for attackers to get onto these wireless networks," Kitchel observes. "Networks remove the physical proximity requirement for attacks and allow attackers to work remotely."
