Siemens has announced significant expansions to its Industrial Edge ecosystem, accelerating data and AI integration, and releasing enhanced cybersecurity functionalities. These enable a seamless integration of IT and OT environments, optimise processes and reduce operational disruptions.
“Siemens Industrial Edge is evolving into a comprehensive platform that combines AI, security and ecosystem innovation,” says Dr Horst Kayser, chief executive officer of Factory Automation at Siemens Digital Industries. “This gives our customers greater operational flexibility, simplified IT/OT integration and certified security for critical operations, all from one scalable platform.”
AI integration and decentralised SCADA for greater flexibility
The Industrial AI Suite, based on Industrial Edge, is now generally available. It simplifies the entire AI lifecycle and enables embedding industrial AI via a complete infrastructure, easily scaling AI models and managing them across locations. The Industrial AI Suite supports a wide range of AI-based applications such as predictive maintenance and visual inspection to reduce downtime and sustainably increase production quality. In the latest version, the Industrial AI Suite also enables significantly more effective AI model retraining by allowing customers to combine image data with production data from MES systems or controllers.
Monitoring and data acquisition with SCADA systems is now possible in a decentralised manner via Industrial Edge. WinCC Unified is now generally available, and WinCC Open Architecture is now available as an Edge App and for the virtual PLC (SIMATIC S7-1500v).
Certified security for critical infrastructures
Industrial Edge Management version 2.0 combines a redesigned, more user friendly and efficient user interface with enhanced data management and security for distributed infrastructures. At the same time, the platform now supports additional hypervisors such as OpenShift and Hyper-V, enabling Siemens Industrial Edge to be operated flexibly on existing IT infrastructures. Siemens hereby bridges the requirements of both the IT and OT worlds. IEC 62443-4-2-certified security functions for critical infrastructures, including air-gapped operation in which systems are physically isolated from external networks, are targeted for release in the second half of 2026 and are expected to provide enhanced cybersecurity. The high security and data management capabilities have been independently confirmed. The testing institute, UL Solutions, has awarded Siemens Industrial Edge and the virtual PLC the ‘Smart Systems Verified – Platinum’ certification, evaluating six key categories: connectivity and interoperability, control and automation, digital experience, functional value, resilience, and cybersecurity.
Enhanced data management with Industrial Information Hub
The Industrial Information Hub has been fundamentally expanded. The data management solution enables bidirectional data flow. Data models can now be synchronised in parallel between edge devices and central IT systems in both directions. This opens up new IT/OT integration scenarios. In addition, the new version of the Industrial Information Hub is available on ARM-based devices such as the SIMATIC IOT2050, which can, for example, be operated on battery power, with LTE-based wireless networking planned for a future release. Thanks to energy-efficient operation, this means that edge applications can be implemented at locations without permanent power supply. These innovations are particularly relevant for decentralised SCADA applications in logistics, water and waste management, or renewable energy.
Expanding an ever-growing partner ecosystem
New partner solutions are also expanding the Industrial Edge ecosystem. Together with 36Zero Vision, MVTec and Basler, solutions are being developed in the areas of machine vision and quality inspection. From AI-driven defect detection and no-code image processing to modularly deployable image processing and analysis functions, companies can integrate machine vision use cases into manufacturing in a scalable manner. OnLogic is joining the Industrial Edge ecosystem to deliver powerful capabilities in the harshest industrial environments. Through the compatibility of OnLogic’s rugged industrial PCs with Siemens Industrial Edge, the partnership brings secure, centrally managed digitalisation to oil and gas, challenging manufacturing environments, and remote edge locations that require high-performance computing in the field.
For more information contact Siemens South Africa, [email protected], www.siemens.co.za
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