What’s New at the IIC
The Road to Digital Transformation
We’re still on a mission. Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) is the world's leading organization
transforming business and society by accelerating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
In 2019, the IIC celebrated its 5th anniversary. In just the span of 5 years, we’ve witnessed the
rise of the Industrial Internet, Industry 4.0, Made in China 2025 and any number of synonymous
buzzwords. The IIC quickly grew to become the largest industrial IoT consortium in the world and
our members became the recognized leaders in development and adoption of IIoT and enabling
technologies. We’ve learned a lot over the last 5 years. As we’ve matured, it has come to pass
that the initial hype and promises of IIoT have dissipated.
Is the Internet of Things dead?
Hardly! But as the number of connected machines and devices continue to explode, it gets harder
and harder to make it all work. The industrial internet continues to be an over-arching principle
that makes sense of, and gives direction to, many technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Machine Learning, Time Sensitive Networking, 5G Connectivity, Digital Twin and others that
continue to evolve.
Somehow, it seems that the cart has managed to get in front of the horse. We’ve got collections
of emerging technologies and available solutions, yet many organizations across a variety of
industries are still struggling to get projects underway. Challenges are compounded with
cybersecurity risks and lack of industrial IoT standards. Not surprisingly it has become incredibly
difficult to create trustworthy industrial systems which rely on devices of autonomous derivation
that can work together.
Slow and Steady
Over time, the IIC has created the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA), the Industrial
Internet Security Framework (IISF), the Industrial Internet Vocabulary and more. These have
established, in large measure, a shared understanding of what the industrial internet is.
The next step is to apply that understanding. For example, Endpoint Security Best Practices, the
IoT Security Maturity Model: Practitioner’s Guide and the Project Explorer. These all apply the
principles in the several framework documents on real projects. However, these projects are
often technology driven, rather than driven by a burning need of the business.
IIC Journal of Innovation
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