The Industrial IoT Blog
IIoT Insights by Henry Costa
Category: Industry 4.0
Exploring the technologies and mindsets shaping the next era of smart manufacturing.
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Understanding 5G for IIoT. Use Cases, Limits, and Reality
Read more: Understanding 5G for IIoT. Use Cases, Limits, and RealityIf you follow industrial digitalization, you have probably seen 5G mentioned everywhere. Vendor slides, conferences, strategy decks. Sometimes it sounds like the missing link for Industry 4.0. Other times, it sounds like expensive hype. The truth sits somewhere in the…
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The Future of IIoT Applications: Where Industry Meets Innovation
Read more: The Future of IIoT Applications: Where Industry Meets InnovationBack in 2005, when I first worked with SAP xMII, the idea of “smart factories” lived mostly in PowerPoint decks and a few brave pilot lines. Today, machines, data, and people are more connected than ever. But the future of…
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Why Edge Data Contextualization Is Key for AI in Manufacturing
Read more: Why Edge Data Contextualization Is Key for AI in ManufacturingIf you’ve ever tried to get meaningful insights from a plant’s data, you know the struggle. You wire up a sensor, push the data to the cloud, and… good luck figuring out if “Tag_123” is a temperature, a pressure, or…
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Top 10 Data Platforms to Watch in 2026
Read more: Top 10 Data Platforms to Watch in 2026If you work in manufacturing or industrial data, you already know how fast this space moves. Every year, there’s a new “must-have” platform, while the existing ones evolve, rebrand, or quietly add powerful new capabilities. After spending years working close…
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Closing the Loop: Agentic AI and IIoT in Self-Correcting Manufacturing
Read more: Closing the Loop: Agentic AI and IIoT in Self-Correcting ManufacturingIf you work in manufacturing today, you’re probably hearing a lot about “Agentic AI” and self-correcting systems. I’ve spent the last two decades watching factories evolve from islands of automation to fully connected, data-driven environments. We moved from PLCs talking…
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Why Industry 4.0 Needs Event-Driven Architecture
Read more: Why Industry 4.0 Needs Event-Driven ArchitectureIf you have spent any time in manufacturing IT or OT, you already know the Purdue Model. For decades, it has been the reference for how plants should be designed and secured. I started my own journey back in 2005,…
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SAP MII End of Life: What Comes Next for IIoT and Shop-Floor Connectivity
Read more: SAP MII End of Life: What Comes Next for IIoT and Shop-Floor ConnectivityIf you’re running SAP MII (Manufacturing Integration & Intelligence) as the backbone for edge connectivity and IIoT use cases, you’ve probably heard by now: the clock is ticking. SAP has officially announced end-of-life for MII, with mainstream support ending in…
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Top 10 Data and Analytics Trends Transforming Manufacturing in 2025
Read more: Top 10 Data and Analytics Trends Transforming Manufacturing in 2025If you work in manufacturing, you’re probably tired of hearing how “data is the new oil.” I get it — but after years of connecting machines, data, and people, I can tell you: the right data and analytics tech really…
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Equipment Connectivity: The Unglamorous Work That Makes Everything Possible
Read more: Equipment Connectivity: The Unglamorous Work That Makes Everything PossibleIf you’ve ever walked into a modern factory and seen dashboards glowing with real-time data, robots humming along, or operators using tablets to check production status, you’ve seen the shiny side of smart manufacturing. But behind all that magic, there’s…
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IIoT Vendor Demo vs Reality: What They Don’t Show You
Read more: IIoT Vendor Demo vs Reality: What They Don’t Show YouIf you’ve ever sat through an IIoT vendor demo and thought, “Wow, this looks easy,” you’re not alone. I’ve been in this industry for over two decades, and I can’t count how many times I’ve seen a slick demo only…
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Edge AI Is Transforming IIoT with Real-Time Decisions
Read more: Edge AI Is Transforming IIoT with Real-Time DecisionsLet’s break it down simply. Edge AI means running artificial intelligence—things like machine learning models—directly on devices at the “edge” of your network. That’s usually right where the machines, sensors, and cameras are, not in some far-off data center. Why…
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Managing Up, Down, and Sideways: The Hidden Skill of IIoT Architects
Read more: Managing Up, Down, and Sideways: The Hidden Skill of IIoT ArchitectsIf there’s one thing I wish more people understood about IIoT architecture, it’s this: the tech is hard, yes — but managing people up, down, and sideways is the real superpower. You can have the cleanest architecture, the best platform,…