The Industrial IoT Blog
IIoT Insights by Henry Costa
Tag: Unified Namespace
A structured and consistent way to organize and share industrial data in real time across systems. It creates a common data model that simplifies integration and supports scalable IIoT architectures.
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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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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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Top 10 OPC UA Servers to Watch in 2026
Read more: Top 10 OPC UA Servers to Watch in 2026Connecting machines is easy on paper. Doing it reliably, securely, and at scale in a real manufacturing environment is not. OPC UA servers sit at the center of that challenge. They are the layer that quietly determines whether your IIoT…
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Top 10 MQTT Brokers to Watch in 2026
Read more: Top 10 MQTT Brokers to Watch in 2026If you spend any time around Industrial IoT, MQTT shows up very quickly. It has become one of the foundational building blocks for IIoT architectures, especially when the goal is to move time-series data from machines to higher-level systems in…
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Top 10 IIoT Platforms to Watch in 2026
Read more: Top 10 IIoT Platforms to Watch in 2026If I could summarize the last two decades of my work in manufacturing, it would be this. I’ve watched factories move from isolated automation islands to increasingly connected, data-driven environments. Along the way, I’ve seen Industrial IoT platforms promise a…
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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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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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Sparkplug B vs Plain MQTT: Performance Lessons
Read more: Sparkplug B vs Plain MQTT: Performance LessonsIf you work in industrial manufacturing and you’re looking at MQTT, you’ve probably heard about Sparkplug B. You might be wondering: Is it really faster? Does it use less bandwidth? Is it worth the extra complexity? I’ll walk you through…
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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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Foundations: Key Differences Between IoT and Industrial IoT (IIoT)
Read more: Foundations: Key Differences Between IoT and Industrial IoT (IIoT)I get asked a lot about the difference between IoT and IIoT, especially from folks who are new to manufacturing or are coming from IT. It’s a fair question. On the surface, both involve connecting “things” to the internet, collecting…
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How IIoT and AI Are Transforming Maintenance & Asset Tracking
Read more: How IIoT and AI Are Transforming Maintenance & Asset TrackingIIoT and AI are changing maintenance and asset tracking; it’s not hype, and it’s not just for big manufacturing conferences. I’ve seen the shift up close, from the early days of connecting a few machines to the reality today—where we…
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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…