Cleveland, Tenn. — The Smart Factory Institute in the PIE Innovation Center in Cleveland, Tennessee held a crucial networking forum with sponsorship by Oceus and in collaboration with ChaTech and the Technology Council of Knoxville. The event drew a diverse group of attendees, including IT managers, plant managers, network engineers, and other industry professionals with the goal of sharing best practices for implementing intelligent wireless infrastructure in manufacturing settings. The focus was on how this technology can not only accelerate operations but also enhance security, reliability, scalability, and integration.
"The Smart Factory Institute is a hub for the mutual exchange of innovative ideas and technologies in the manufacturing sector,” says Denise Hall, President and CEO of Peak Performance, operators of the Smart Factory Institute. “As manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly interconnected and technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, it is imperative for manufacturers to remain vigilant in safeguarding themselves against cyber threats and criminal activities.”
Andy Davies, Sr. VP of Information Technology for Mueller Water Products, and Bill Pickel, Sr. Security Engineer of Kenco Group, shared strategies for keeping your company safe from cyber threats. Mueller recently identified a cybersecurity incident impacting certain operational and information technology systems.
“I was glad to share Mueller’s learnings from our recent cyber-attack. It is an opportunity to join forces with peers to defend against bad actors in the cyber world” says Davies.
Danny Walters, Product Marketing Specialist from Phoenix Contact shared products that they manufacture to support the next generation of wireless technology such as 5G private networks and WiFi 6/6E. Paul McQuillan, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, of Oceus, the event sponsor, discussed making industry 4.0 a reality with real-time connectivity.
Chief Communications Officer, Danna Bailey of Quibitekk, who has partnered with Epb in Chattanooga to launch America’s first industry-led, commercially available quantum network also presented at the forum.
“Most industries are still only barely tapping into AI’s rapidly advancing technology. Quantum computing is going to shake up our expectations of technology’s abilities even more, solving problems to a degree of complexity that has previously been impossible” says Bailey.
The evolving landscape of the manufacturing industry demands a proactive approach to cybersecurity in order to protect sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and overall operations from potential breaches and attacks. By prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures, manufacturers can effectively mitigate risks and ensure the integrity and security of their operations in the face of growing digital challenges.
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