The Industrial IoT Blog
IIoT Insights by Henry Costa
Category: Strategic Leadership
Perspectives on leading digital transformation and shaping long-term IIoT strategy.
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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,…
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IIoT Risks: What Manufacturers Need to Watch Out For
Read more: IIoT Risks: What Manufacturers Need to Watch Out ForWhen you start connecting machines, systems, and people across a factory, you open up a world of opportunities — but also a minefield of risks. I’ve spent years helping manufacturing teams roll out machine connectivity and IIoT platforms, from the…
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Industrial IoT Market Size in 2025: What the Data Really Shows
Read more: Industrial IoT Market Size in 2025: What the Data Really ShowsWhen I walk through a modern plant, what stands out isn’t just the hum of machines or the glow of control screens—it’s the invisible web of connections tying everything together. IIoT has become the backbone for smarter, more responsive operations.…
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Building a Smart Manufacturing Consulting Practice: The First 90 Days
Read more: Building a Smart Manufacturing Consulting Practice: The First 90 DaysStarting a Smart Manufacturing consulting practice from the ground up is a bit like jumping onto a moving train — you need to get your bearings fast, build trust with new faces, and learn to solve real problems before you…
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Retiring SAP MII: Closing a Chapter and Opening the Next One
Read more: Retiring SAP MII: Closing a Chapter and Opening the Next OneAfter spending almost twenty years working with SAP MII (before that, xMII), it feels strange to say goodbye. It was part of daily life for many of us. It solved tough problems, frustrated teams, and more than once saved a…
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How AI Is Driving IIoT Market Growth
Read more: How AI Is Driving IIoT Market GrowthAI and automation are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and they’re changing how we all work — from the plant floor to the boardroom. I’ve seen this play out over the past years, and I want to share what’s…
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TPG to Acquire Kepware and ThingWorx from PTC
Read more: TPG to Acquire Kepware and ThingWorx from PTCSo, here’s a real story from the shop floor to the boardroom: PTC is selling its industrial connectivity and IoT businesses—Kepware and ThingWorx—to TPG, a global private equity firm. This isn’t just another deal in the headlines. For those of…
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The Five Questions Every IIoT Architect Must Answer
Read more: The Five Questions Every IIoT Architect Must AnswerEvery IIoT project I’ve worked on — from small pilot sites to global rollouts spanning 30+ manufacturing facilities — eventually comes down to the same five questions. I used to think architecture was about picking the right protocols or drawing…
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Industry 5.0: When Operators Matter More Than Dashboards
Read more: Industry 5.0: When Operators Matter More Than DashboardsI’ve spent the last years connecting machines to the cloud. Millions of tags. Real-time dashboards. Predictive analytics. The whole Industry 4.0 playbook. But here’s what nobody talks about: we forgot about the people. The Moment We Knew Something Was Wrong…
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Why Your OT Team Hates Your IT Architecture (And How to Fix It)
Read more: Why Your OT Team Hates Your IT Architecture (And How to Fix It)If you work in manufacturing, you’ve probably felt the tension between IT and OT (Operational Technology) teams. I’ve seen it at every level—from shop floor engineers rolling their eyes during architecture reviews, to IT folks wondering why “those OT guys”…
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What’s the Value of Combining IIoT with Blockchain?
Read more: What’s the Value of Combining IIoT with Blockchain?I’ve been around manufacturing tech for a while — long enough to see a lot of “next big things” come and go. Lately, I keep hearing more people ask: “What if we combine IIoT with Blockchain?” Is it just hype,…
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Smart Manufacturing Nearshore: Lessons from Leading Cross-Border Delivery
Read more: Smart Manufacturing Nearshore: Lessons from Leading Cross-Border DeliveryLet’s talk about the nearshore model for Smart Manufacturing/IIoT consulting — what it really looks like in practice, what works well, where it struggles, and what I’ve learned after two decades building and leading teams across the U.S., Mexico, Brazil,…